


Where the Sky is Held

by AuroraBorealia, LadyNorbert



Series: Skyhold Academy Yearbook [3]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Boarding School, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Non-Magical, Alternate Universe - Teachers, Costumes, F/M, Holidays, M/M, One Shot Collection, Pregnancy, Renaissance Faires, Sequel, Singing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-14
Updated: 2017-10-01
Packaged: 2018-12-15 09:34:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 85,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11803317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AuroraBorealia/pseuds/AuroraBorealia, https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyNorbert/pseuds/LadyNorbert
Summary: Part Three of Skyhold Academy Yearbook. Join us once again for a new year at the "best school ever", filled with more singing, silliness, and romance - not to mention plenty more Dragon Age character cameos, costumes, and a few exciting announcements that change Skyhold forever. School is back in session at Skyhold Academy!





	1. Once Upon a Time in Skyhold

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! We can't thank you all enough for the amazing responses to this series thus far. If you haven't read "Skyhold Academy" or "The Year of the Unicorn and the Emerald Princess", please don't forget to read those before reading this story, otherwise you will be terribly lost. ;)
> 
> This story is actually more like a collection of pieces we've written for the Skyhold Academy Yearbook universe. Therefore, the "chapters" aren't as linear as they were in the first story. Additionally, because they began their lives as one-shots, some of the "chapters" are very short and others are very long. I tried to split long one-shots up where I could, but the flow of some pieces prevents them from being split nicely.
> 
> This first chapter is a short one. It takes place in between Chapter 33 and the Epilogue of "Skyhold Academy" when a certain substitute returns home with lots of stories to tell a very interesting cast of characters. Enjoy!

* * *

**“Prologue” - Once Upon a Time in Skyhold**

* * *

As much as Michel de Chevin would miss Skyhold and the people there, the moment his flight touched down he realized just how good it was to be back in Orlais. From the Court where he tutored, to the University of Orlais where he often lectured, he had missed the pace of his life in the empire. But with the year concluded at Skyhold and the castle’s resident fairy tale having reached their happy ending, he felt the year had been an incredibly successful one. And what’s more, he had plenty of stories to tell his colleagues.

He gathered his belongings from baggage claim and made his way through the airport with a jaunty air to his step - the last thing he expected was someone calling his name. It took him a moment to realize who the voice belonged to and was delighted to see it was, in fact, the university zoology teacher, Professor Serault.

“Frederic!” he called, chuckling as he approached where the man stood. “Ah, it’s good to see you, my friend! What are you doing here?”

“Welcome back, Michel! It’s been too long.” Frederic beamed, clapping the language professor on the shoulder. “I’m your ride to the university, of course.”

“Oh, that’s very kind of you – I was just going to get a taxi or take an Uber. You didn’t need to go to all this trouble.”

“It’s no trouble. This way I can catch you up a bit on what you missed while you were gone. How was Skyhold, by the way?”

“My friend, there are no words. I have many, many stories to share with you all – the place is remarkable.”

“Well, then, let’s get you back to the university. I’m sure everyone is eager to hear what you have to say!”

* * *

About an hour later, Michel was walking back through the doors of his beloved workplace, sighing contentedly as he made his way to the staff room.

“Look who I discovered at Florian International Airport!” Frederic said as they entered, as if he hadn’t been dispatched for the express purpose of fetching the language professor.

“The intrepid substitute returns!” declared a voice from the corner as Professor Fairbanks, the school’s criminal justice teacher, lifted his coffee cup in Michel’s direction. “Good to have you back.”

“Yes, welcome home, Michel,” said Edouard Desjardins, the Professor of International Relations. “Did you have a good time? Is Ms. Montilyet well?” Josephine was the daughter of Professor Desjardins’s oldest friend.

Michel chuckled as a cup of coffee was pressed into his hands. “Josephine is very well, Edouard. She told me to tell you hello. As for Skyhold – I mentioned to Frederic that it’s a remarkable place. I have so many stories I could talk through seven Grand Balls and still have stories to spare.”

“Is that so? It sounds like you’d better start with the basics, then,” said Fairbanks with a laugh.

But before Michel could say anything, a mellifluous female voice cut in. “Well, well. What do we have here? Hello, Professor de Chevin.”

“Morrigan,” he said with a smile, turning in his seat to nod a greeting. The raven-haired chemistry teacher was leaning in the doorway as if she’d been there from the start. “You’re just in time, I was getting ready to tell everyone about my time in Skyhold Academy.”

“Oh, yes. Skyhold,” she drawled. “Headmistress Nightingale’s haunt and President Theirin’s pet project. I trust it was interesting.”

“Most assuredly. It was-”

“ _Un moment_ ,” said Frederic. “Kenric will be very upset if he misses this. Let’s wait for him.”

Within ten minutes, the wayward history professor had been summoned via text message and had rushed down to the staff room to be a part of the gossip. “I am so sorry I missed your arrival, Michel, I got wrapped up in some research and lost all track of time,” he said, in his heavy Starkhaven accent. “Did you have a good flight?”

“I can’t complain.” Michel smiled, patting the professor’s arm. “How are you, Bram? Well, I hope. Research coming along nicely?”

“I likewise can’t complain. And the research is excellent, thank you. I’ve been making a lot of headway on my research in the Frostback Basin and Colette, bless her, is...” He dropped off abruptly. “Ah, of course, no one brought me here to listen to me prattle on. I hear you have some stories from your time at Skyhold?”

“I do, at that.” The language professor settled in, sipping at his coffee and pondering where to start. “Well, you all know of course I was only supposed to be there for a few months while Madame de Fer looked after Bastien. Unfortunately, we all know what happened, so I went back.”

“Indeed. I trust Madame de Fer has been faring well at Skyhold these past few years?” Morrigan asked lightly.

“Lady Morrigan,” Kenric said, in something like cautious warning.

Everyone knew Vivienne had worked at the University for many years, until budget cuts took the funds from Vivienne’s department and gave them to Morrigan’s. It was, in fact, one of the main reasons Vivienne went to teach at Skyhold instead, feeling that Morrigan had somehow weaseled her way into a more important position within the school than she deserved. It was a feud in which  no one at the university was ever eager to get involved.

“She is a valuable asset to the Skyhold team, I know that much,” said Michel tactfully. “Well anyway, during my first semester filling in for her, I had the privilege to witness a bit of a budding romance at the school. During my second semester, that romance took a legendary turn.”

“Legendary?” Edouard said with a laugh.

“Oh, yes, my friend. ‘Legendary’ doesn’t even begin to cover it, if I’m being honest.” He shook his head fondly. “I wasn’t the only substitute at Skyhold Academy this year – they had a charming woman filling in for their renowned art teacher Marian Hawke. Her name is Evangeline Trevelyan. The school also has a dedicated history professor by the name of Professor Cullen Rutherford. I believe you and he would be thick as thieves, Bram,” he added.

“And let me guess, Miss Trevelyan and Professor Rutherford fell madly in love?” Fairbanks chuckled.

“Ah, you’re getting ahead of yourself, Evariste.” Michel likewise laughed. “The course of true love never did run smooth, as they say, and I think perhaps no couple I’ve ever seen fits that sentence better than these two.”

“And that’s saying something! We are, after all, in Orlais!” Kenric pointed out.

“Precisely. Well, I suppose I should start at the logical place – the beginning.”

* * *

As the rest of the staff listened, Michel launched into the tale of Skyhold Academy’s very own fairy tale.

He told them the basics – all about how Cullen had showed up to the dance club run by Evvy and Dorian, about the Chargers’ game against the horrid Red Templars, about the way the Skyhold staff had celebrated the Wintersend holiday. Some of it he had witnessed with his own two eyes, while other bits of info he picked up from staff room gossip. Others still had been told to him after the fact – such as the events which had happened after he had gone back to Orlais for Wintersend or the fact that he had inadvertently made Cullen jealous early in the year. He was only halfway through and already the staff was chortling.

“Michel, you made the poor man jealous?” Frederic asked, his face red with laughter.

“I assure you I had no idea! It was not my intention!” Michel protested, likewise laughing. “When the Headmistress first approved Professor Pavus’s idea for a dance club, she dispatched me to deliver the message. I had assumed it was because I was passing by her office at the time – I only found out later she recruited me.” He chuckled again. “I will admit, in hindsight I can see why I inadvertently made the good history professor think I was interested in Miss Evangeline. And she is a wonderful person – but it was very clear from the start that they only had eyes for each other.”

“Sounds like it was clear to everyone except them,” Morrigan remarked coolly.

“Indeed it was. But that’s not even the half of it…”

He continued the tale of the Emerald Princess and her bashful knight. His tone became solemn for a moment as he described Cullen’s health scare, but he brightened again as he told his friends that the event led to Evvy and Cullen finally making their feelings known to one another. To his immense delight, a few of the assembled staff members actually cheered. “Oh, but wait, you must hear about the concert.”

“The concert?”

This required video proof, which his colleagues first watched in dumbfounded silence and then in uproarious laughter.

“Michel, you devil, why didn’t you send us that before?” Fairbanks demanded, wiping his eyes as he guffawed.

“I knew it would be better enjoyed like this,” he replied, gesturing around the room, grinning broadly.

The language professor endured some good-natured ribbing for his own contribution to the merriment and for a few more minutes they discussed the concert and the other assorted bits of relationship gossip, before Morrigan interrupted.

“What about the business with Venatori Prep, Michel?” She interjected. “We heard bits and pieces on the news, of course, but have you any first-hand information?”

Michel sighed. “Yes. That. Simply dreadful business. Simply dreadful.”

He then related the tale of Evvy’s kidnapping and the plot to destroy the school. But he was delighted to tell them how the plot was foiled and that it soon led to the happy ending everyone had been hoping for all year – Evvy and Cullen’s wedding. He had several pictures on his phone from the event, which he showed off with great joy.

“So they were married by the President himself,” said Morrigan dryly, lifting an eyebrow. “A ceremony to remember, I’m sure.”

“It was, it was.” He told them all about the students being able to attend and the concert and the gorgeous carriage that spirited the newlyweds away.

“Hmm, so it really was a fairy tale,” said Eduoard with a chuckle. “And here I thought you were exaggerating.”

“Oh, trust me, my friends – it’s almost impossible to exaggerate the things at Skyhold Academy. If I hadn’t been there myself, I wouldn’t have believed it.”

“But what about the young man you mentioned? Cole? What of his adoption?” asked Frederic.

“And you mentioned a few other teachers and their own budding romances,” Kenric added. “What of them?”

“Now, gentlemen, I’m sure Professor de Chevin would like to rest. He’s had a long journey,” Morrigan said, as if she were scolding a group of children.

“And we should all get back to work before Headmistress Briala finds us gossiping.” Fairbanks laughed.

“Don’t worry, don’t worry, I can give you all more details at dinner. As I said, I have enough stories to last for a while.” Michel chuckled.

“Well, until then, relax. And welcome home, Michel!” said Frederic cheerfully, patting his friend’s shoulder.

“Thank you. It’s good to be back.”

As the rest of the staff filtered out, he sat back in his chair and sighed, stretching luxuriously. How he had missed this... although he had a feeling the next time he needed a vacation, he would be paying a visit to a certain chain of mountains near the border.


	2. You Make Me Live

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Skyhold staff celebrates Evvy's birthday in true Skyhold fashion - with silliness, songs, and unexpected visitors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The name of this "chapter" comes from the first line of a certain song by the band Queen. I think you'll see why. ;)

* * *

**You Make Me Live**

* * *

Cullen was, of course, up early as he usually was - but on this very particular day in September, it was to accomplish one very particular task. He didn’t get to make breakfast for the family as often as he would like, but it was something he had become surprisingly good at. After years of cold cereal or the occasional slice of toast to start his day, the act of making a substantial meal to be shared with others felt almost luxurious. And on this day, his wife’s birthday, he wouldn’t miss doing it for the world.

Almost as soon as he was out in the kitchen, he was greeted by his son. “Cole, what are you doing up so early?”

“Mother’s birthday,” Cole replied simply. “You're making breakfast for her, aren't you? I want to help.”

Cullen chuckled slightly. “You can definitely help. First things first - before we do anything else, let's find a vase. I have some flowers for her. I thought we could make up a little tray.”

“Mother keeps vases in that cabinet.” Cole pointed. “She painted one in one of her classes last year. I liked it so she kept it. What are you making for her?”

“I’m thinking pancakes, perhaps,” he replied, retrieving the vase Cole mentioned. “But here’s the real question - chocolate chip or blueberry?”

He pondered the matter. “Chocolate is sweet and tends to melt, but blueberries… soft, sun-kissed berry skin, filled with juice and joy. She likes the blueberries because she knows you like them.”

Cullen chuckled again. “Yes, that’s true. I think you’re right, blueberry it is. After all, I’m sure she’ll get something chocolate before the day is out.” He set to work fetching bowls and ingredients. “We just have to be as quiet as possible so we don’t wake her up.”

“Uncle Dorian said the teachers want to throw her a little party later,” Cole mused, getting out the dishes and starting to arrange the tray. “Just a small something, because tomorrow’s a year since the rainbow first appeared at Skyhold.”

Cullen stopped in the middle of measuring out flour, pausing to blink in thought. “It _has_ been a year, hasn’t it?” He made a small noise of surprise. “Sometimes I forget it’s only been a year that I’ve known her... it’s hard to remember my life before her.”

“Me too,” said Cole. “She changed everything. We didn’t know how much Skyhold needed color until it came.”

“I think we all didn’t know how much we needed each other,” Cullen agreed with a smile, beckoning his son over. “Want to help me with these?”

Cole nodded, smiling. “Show me how?”

“Of course. First we’ll get everything mixed and then I’ll show you how to flip them - I mean _actually_ flip them. I’ve gotten rather good at it, I’d say. It’s all in the wrist.”

* * *

The smell woke Evvy some while later, and after a few seconds of curiosity she remembered what day it was. Chuckling quietly to herself, she slipped out of bed and into the bathroom, then returned to wait for her breakfast to be delivered, propped up on the pillows and trying not to look _too_ expectant.

“Here come my handsome Rutherford men,” she said when they appeared. “I’m spoiled.”

“Not as spoiled as we are to have you, my darling.” Cullen beamed. “Happy birthday. We come bearing breakfast.”

“And it smells marvelous.” She smiled at Cole as he placed the tray very carefully on her lap. “Did you make these, son?”

“Well, I helped.” He nodded. “Father taught me how to flip them. Some of them didn’t make it... but most of them did!”

Cullen patted his son’s shoulder. “He did very, very well,” he reported proudly.

Evvy smiled and kissed Cole’s cheek. “Thank you, sweetheart. And thank _you_ , love. This is already my favorite birthday ever.” She started to eat the pancakes, declaring them perfect. (They mostly were.)

“You are most welcome, darling.” Cullen took a seat at the end of the bed as carefully as possible, not wanting to upset the tray. “Can I get you anything else? Anything at all?”

“Everything I ever wanted is right here,” she assured him. “Did you two eat? I’d hate to be the only one enjoying this.”

“We were tasting a bit as we went.” Cullen laughed. “But I could always make some eggs if anyone’s still hungry, maybe put the kettle on. I don’t want anyone to be too full for whatever the others are planning later - I’m positive there will be cake, at the very least.”

“I feel very touched that there’s any kind of fuss being raised on my account,” she said. “After everything else that’s happened in the last few months, I didn’t really expect much. They gave us such an amazing wedding, after all.”

“Dearest, it’s your birthday and your best friend is a frustrated party planner. Of course there’s a fuss.” He smiled, chuckling. “There’s no way our friends were going to let this day pass by uncelebrated - and even if they had, you know _I_ certainly would have done everything I could to make it special.”

“Oh, I know, darling.” She smiled, finishing her pancakes. “Thank you both, this was wonderful.”

Cole looked beyond pleased. “You’re welcome, I’m glad you liked them. Happy birthday, Mother!” He paused, looking slightly quizzical. “Do you have any idea what the others have planned for today? Is it a surprise?”

“I think it is, because I haven’t got a clue.” She laughed. “Maybe we’d better get dressed and go find out.” She paused, hearing her phone, and reached over to collect it from the nightstand. “Birthday wishes from your Uncle Mahanon - he never forgets. He says he’ll be visiting us as soon as he can.”

“Oh, we know what that means, don’t we, Cole?” Cullen smiled.

Cole nodded. “Aunt Cassandra will be brighter,” he answered, also smiling. “Loved, laughing, lit up like a candle. The smile she reserves only for him.”

“And he’s just the same.” Evvy laughed. “Here comes another message... mm, Varric this time. ‘Siren, don’t keep us waiting too long. Solas is eyeing your cake.’ Oh dear.” She laughed again.

“Well, it sounds like we’d better get ready then,” said Cullen, also laughing. “Leave the dishes, darling, I’ll get them later.”

* * *

Several minutes later, the small family was dressed and walking across the grounds to the main hall. “So you don’t have any idea what they’re up to either, then?” Evvy asked.

Cullen shook his head. “They keep me on a short leash. I actually have a feeling they view me as a bit of a flight risk when it comes to keeping secrets from you. I think they’re concerned I’ll immediately tell you anything they tell me. Which… probably isn’t far from the truth, actually.”

“Well, there’s that,” she admitted. They climbed the steps into the old keep. “I just wonder if-AAAH!”

Quite literally the entire school had assembled for the occasion and let out a great cheer of “surprise!” as the Rutherfords entered. Both Cole and Cullen jumped back at the noise, then Cullen laughed slightly in disbelief. “This is _something small_?” he said, shaking his head with a smirk.

Once Evvy recovered from her initial shock, she burst out laughing. “Oh, goodness. Thank you all, this is... quite overwhelming. Haven’t you thrown me enough parties for one year?” she added, eyes twinkling.

“No, of course not!” called a voice. Dorian emerged from the crowd a minute later and threw his arms out wide, addressing the crowd. “Isn’t that right?” There was a chorus of agreement to his statement and he grinned, turning back to face her. “Happy birthday, my dear.”

“Fairy Godfather!” She chuckled, shaking her head. “Thank you. Now, what’s this about cake? Varric warned me that Solas was eyeing my cake and it might not survive the morning.”

“Ah, of course, we can’t forget that. It’s from the same bakery that made your wedding cake, actually. And yes, we did bring enough for the whole class,” he added, glancing over his shoulder at the students.

“Maybe we should save that for after lunch. It’s a little early for cake,” Josie pointed out. “But we do have a present.”

“And it’s actually for the whole school,” added Varric. “Ever heard of the Crestwood Exalted Age Festival?”

“I can’t say that I have.”

“Well, it’s this big to-do up in the next county, and basically this one old village turns into something out of the Exalted Age. Everybody walks around in period costume and does stuff like watch blacksmiths and pretend to joust and that sort of thing. And we’re all going.”

There was plenty of excited buzzing from the students and Cullen raised his voice slightly to be heard over it. “That sounds wonderful! How generous of you all, thank you.”

“Can we dress up?” one of the kids wanted to know.

“Yes, you can, and it’s encouraged,” said Leliana. “But we realize that probably none of us actually have anything appropriate to wear… fortunately, they have several costume shops at the faire where you can rent or buy an outfit.”

“However, no students are allowed to enter the tournament of arms,” said Bull, a bit severely. “You can do anything else, but no fighting. We want you all coming home in the same condition as when you left.”

There were several overdramatic, teasing groans at this restriction - most notably from a few of the Chargers and possibly Sera (although hers sounded less joking than the others). “You said nothing about teachers entering, though,” said Hawke with a chuckle. “Does that rule apply to us too?”

“No way. I’m not the boss of you.” He laughed.

Hawke let out a bark of laughter. “Yup, no one is,” she said in a tone of teasing bravado. “No, seriously, it sounds like a lot of fun. It’s gonna be great.”

“When are we going?” Evvy asked, looking delighted. “I warn you now, I _will_ be taking pictures of all of you in costume so I can draw you later.”

“Tomorrow, the anniversary of the day the rainbow came to Skyhold. We were going to do it today, but there’s too much cake to eat,” Varric replied with a grin.

“Quite,” Dorian agreed. “But never fear - I have something special planned for today as well.”

“Well, if _you’ve_ planned it, I’m sure it’s magical.” Evvy chuckled. “Really, you didn’t have to go to so much trouble. Thank you all.”

“You're welcome. And of course we did - you're the rainbow of Skyhold, after all. And we love you.” He grinned as the students cheered their affirmation. “So do you want my surprise now or later, darling? We _do_ have a captive audience at the moment.”

She had to wipe her eyes at that assertion, but nodded. “When in doubt, always take advantage of a captive audience.”

“Quite right.” He laughed, then turned and gestured for the crowd to part to let him through. Whispering excitedly, they obliged, speculating amongst themselves as he all but leapt onto one of the tables. There were a few shrieks of delight. “And I haven’t even started yet.” He chuckled, then found Evvy in the crowd. “Since I’m very outspoken about the fact that you’re easily my dearest friend, there seemed no better way to express it than to sing it. This is for you, my dear.” And thus he launched into Queen’s “You’re My Best Friend” while the students shrieked louder.

Evvy’s damp eyes turned into full-fledged crying by the time he finished. She’d never really realized just how perfectly the lyrics of the song summed up her friendship - which was not a strong enough word - with Dorian. As soon as he reached the end and hopped off the table, she flung her arms around him. “That was _beautiful_.”

“I’m so very pleased you enjoyed,” he said, kissing her cheek. “And it’s all true, too. All that and more. I’m very fortunate I was numbered amongst the people you adopted when you came to Skyhold.”

She laughed, drawing back a bit. “If you’ll recall, you were the _first_ one I adopted,” she reminded him. “No one else could have kept my spirits up the way you did. And no one else could have taught me to properly enjoy eye candy the way you did either,” she added, in a low tone meant only for his ears, with a conspiratorial grin.

He chuckled quietly. “I’m sure you would have learned how to appreciate it on your own - after all, you had excellent fodder with which to practice. But I’m very happy to have been your tutor.”

“I’m sort of afraid to see what anyone does for an encore,” she noted with amusement, kissing his cheek in return.

“Did I hear someone ask for an encore?” asked a new voice. The crowd turned, and a general cry of delighted recognition went up as they realized Mahanon was lounging in the doorframe. “Do I need to duel Professor Pavus in order to retain my status as your best friend?”

“ _He’s_ my best friend,” Evvy retorted. “You’re more like my other self or something.”

“Hmm... I guess I can accept that,” he teased.

“Good. Get over here and give me a hug, you eavesdropper.”

Laughing, Dorian released her so she could collect her hug from Mahanon, then side-stepped so he wasn’t bowled over by Cassandra, who rushed to collect the next hug as soon as the old friends were finished. “Why didn’t you say you were coming?” she asked, looking (as Cole had described) brighter for Mahanon’s being there.

“Because it’s so much more fun to surprise you and the little lady,” he replied, as if that should be obvious. “Varric texted me about this trip and there was no way I was missing the chance to watch you kick some tail in the tournament of arms.”

“You’ll be coming with us to the festival?” Cass asked, her eyes wide. From behind her, Dorian snickered at the look on her face - the type of look that suggested she was probably picturing what Mahanon would look like in an Exalted Age inspired costume.

“You bet I am! What do you think? Should I be a knight in shining armor or a peasant fresh from working in the fields?”

“Ohh, a knight! Definitely a knight!” She looked delighted, then seemed to remember they had an audience and cleared her throat. “I mean, perhaps. If you want.”

Varric was snickering behind them. “The lady knows what she wants,” he said, when they both looked at him. His innocent tone fooled no one.

“I guess we’ll all need to wait and see what the options are,” said Evvy diplomatically. “Well, since this is apparently a party and a half, what else should we do?”

“ _You’re_ the birthday girl, you tell us,” said Dorian, in a tone that suggested he was prepared for whatever she suggested and had more than a few tricks up his sleeve.

“Honestly, I hadn’t given it much thought.” She rubbed her abdomen absentmindedly. “Sorry, stomach is a little funny. Anyway - there is something I’ve always wondered. How feasible is a mass game of hide and seek in this place?”

A cheer went up through the crowd. Dorian laughed and motioned for them to be calm. “I think we could make that happen.”

“Considering when I first started teaching here, I got hopelessly lost almost every day, I’d say there are plenty of places for hiding,” Cullen added with a chuckle.

“All right then. Are you ready, Skyhold Academy?” Evvy called.

There was a massive cry of “Yes!” as the students looked around, giggling.

“All right. Since you outnumber us at least five to one, all us teachers will be it - ready? Go hide!”

They scattered, giggling and chattering and pushing each other just a little, and soon the hall was empty of everyone who was not an adult. “Right, that should keep them busy for a while,” said Varric.

Cullen laughed. “Good to see they’re just as energetic as they were before the summer. How long do you think we should give them to get settled before we go seek?”

“An hour?” Bull joked.

“Leaving our students alone for an hour? Sounds dangerous,” Dorian replied with a smirk. “Five or ten minutes should probably suffice. That should give them enough time to quell their giggling - otherwise we’d be able to find them instantaneously.”

“This is true,” said Evvy. “Really, all of you, this was so sweet. I’m deeply touched, I don’t have words.”

“Only the best for the Rainbow of Skyhold.” Cass smiled. “It’s been a wonderful year having you with us.”

“It’s been a wonderful year for me too. In many, many ways.” Evvy beamed at them. “So... we find the kids and send them back here for a head count, and the last one found gets a treat at the faire tomorrow?”

“Sounds fair,” said Josephine with a smile. “Should we split up? Maybe in pairs?”

“Dibs on Cassandra,” Mahanon said playfully. “No offense, birthday girl.”

“None taken.”

“Well, to the great shock of no one, I’ll take Evvy since Mahanon won’t,” Cullen returned, smiling.

“We’re calling dibs, how delightfully third grade of us.” Dorian chuckled.

“Good thing Fenris isn’t here so I can partner with Hawke, or I’d be the odd man out,” Varric deadpanned.

“If he was here, we could have just been a three-man team. I’m sure Fenris would be willing to share me. Maybe. A little.” Hawke laughed. “All right, everyone, happy hunting!”

Leliana and Solas volunteered to remain in the main hall to take count of everyone as they returned, and the others set out in search of the hiding students. Poor Cole was the first one found, since he came out of hiding the instant he saw his parents. “I don’t want to hide from you,” he said. “I... I was hiding long enough.”

Cullen gave his son a look of sympathy and put an arm around his shoulder. “That’s all right, son, you can help us look instead,” he assured him. “Just don’t tell the other teachers or they’ll accuse us having an unfair advantage.”

“I could go to the hall if it would help,” said Cole. “I don’t want you to be in trouble.”

“No, you don’t have to go. I don’t think we’d really get in trouble.” Cullen smiled. “Besides, it’s your mother’s birthday - I think she can get away with whatever she wants today.”

“As opposed to any other day?” asked Dorian, passing in time to overhear the remark. “My Cinderella is above reproach, you know.” He winked at Evvy.

“Quite right,” Cullen agreed, kissing his wife’s cheek, then looking back over at Dorian as they passed each other. “Find anyone yet?”

“Not yet, but I’m pretty sure there are a handful in the library. We’re on our way there now - we just cleared the gym.” He nodded at Bull, with whom he was partnered. “Happy hunting, children.”

“Have fun.” Cullen waved, then took Evvy’s hand as they walked away. “Oh, by the way, are you feeling any better? I heard you say your stomach was bothering you, I wanted to make sure you were all right.”

“Oh, I’m fine, dear. It’s been a little dyspeptic on occasion lately, nothing serious,” she assured him.

“My poor darling,” he tutted. “I had no idea. Let me know if there’s anything I can get you or do for you the next time it happens. At least it wasn’t anything to do with breakfast this morning,” he added with a laugh.

“The breakfast was delicious. I would gladly put up with a little stomachache for those pancakes,” she promised. “Really, I’m all right.”

He smiled. “All right, I’ll stop fussing,” he assured her, kissing her cheek again. “Now, come on - let’s check downstairs. I’m sure some of the more daring students probably braved the cobwebs and found hiding places down in the storage room or even that old library we don’t use anymore.”

* * *

It took well over an hour to locate and collect everyone. It was ultimately Grim, the taciturn football player, who won the whole competition. “I’m not surprised,” said Bull, once this was determined. “He’s so quiet I don’t always realize he’s there when he’s standing right next to me.”

“Quiet is good, quiet is mysterious,” Dorian assured the victorious student. “It means you only talk when you have something to say. Lends a certain gravity to your words. Of course, I wouldn’t know, because I always have something interesting to say, but this is what I’m told. Anyway, well done. Your prize will be something to be determined at the faire tomorrow.”

“And I think now we can have lunch,” said Josephine, “and then we’ll let Mrs. Rutherford cut her birthday cake. Come on, everyone, down to the dining hall.”

Everyone drifted down to the hall, laughing and talking amongst themselves. Fenris had arrived in the interim, and spoke quietly to his wife for a moment; she directed a smug look at the back of Varric’s head as he did.

Meanwhile, Cullen shook his head fondly as he took his usual seat at the teacher’s table. “Hide and seek... always something new and enjoyable in this place.”

“Wait until winter, I’ll propose a mammoth snowball fight,” his wife teased him. “That should be diabolical.”

“A snowball fight? That _is_ diabolical.” He laughed. “I look forward to seeing Dorian out freezing in the snow - he hates the cold, but we all know he’d never say no if you asked.”

“My poor Fairy Godfather,” Evvy said affectionately, chuckling. “Well, we’ll see what happens. So how did this faire come to everyone’s attention anyway? And why does it seem like I’m the only one who didn’t know about the trip?”

“I know all kinds of things I probably shouldn’t know,” Varric reminded her cheerfully. “And it seems that way because you are - we were trying to make it a surprise, and we actually succeeded. Not that the surprises stop here, but you’ll just have to wait until we get to the faire.”

“Usually our surprises mean I’m going to be spirited away somewhere.” Cullen chuckled, winking. “Oh, well, anything for my wife.”

“I love how you’re pretending you don’t know,” Varric teased him. “I mean. Of course you don’t know. You have no idea. Wild horses couldn’t get it out of you.”

“I love how _you_ think you _do_ know everything,” Hawke said smugly.

“...what don’t I know?” Varric eyed her sidelong.

“ _What don’t you know_?” Dorian repeated. “Would you like the list? I have a list. A long one. I can fetch it if you’d like.”

“I was referring to a specific thing he doesn’t know,” Hawke clarified, “but I for one would find this list interesting.”

“Oh, I’m sure. I’ll show it to you, on the condition that I’m allowed to be in on this little secret,” Dorian replied with a smirk.

“Deal. Lead the way, I’ll come to your office.”

“What kind of best friend are you, Hawke?!” Varric sputtered.

“A terribly good one, I’d say,” said Dorian. “I’m sure whatever she has up her sleeve is simply delightful. And, if it’s not, I’m sure it will at least make me laugh.”

Varric uttered a long-suffering sigh which fooled approximately no one. “Fine. Go. I see how it is.”

“Delightful! We’ll be back before cake.” And with that, he whisked Hawke off in the direction of his office.

Varric glanced at Fenris, who merely chuckled. “Don’t worry. She’d never keep something from you if it weren’t for a very good reason.”

“I think I can guess what this is about,” Cullen whispered in an aside to Evvy, smiling slightly.

“Pretty sure I can too,” she whispered back. “I’m willing to bet _he_ can too, but he’s going to milk this for all it’s worth anyway.”

“Oh, of course. I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

The absentees returned just before the cake was cut, and now Dorian also looked smug. “I hope you’re happy,” Varric grumbled.

“Oh, very much so,” Dorian said with a grin. “And back in time for dessert, just like I promised. Today is a very good day all around.”

“And did you enjoy the list, Hawke?”

“It’s less a list, more a college ruled spiral notebook, entirely full up,” she teased. “I’m kidding, of course. But it was pretty long.”

“I see how it is. I’m a little disappointed, actually,” he said. “I thought maybe Sparkler had set up a computer database, with the ability to cross-reference entries.”

“What can I say, I’m a librarian - I enjoy the inherent simplicity of ink and paper.” He shrugged lightly. “Although, if Felix is ever looking for a project, perhaps I’ll suggested we begin transferring everything to the computer. I _do_ like the idea of cross-referencing...”

“You’re a sick man, Sparkler.” Varric laughed, however. “So what are we doing for the rest of the day?”

“Well, I suppose at some point Evvy’s husband and son will want to spend time with her,” Dorian commented with a smirk, sighing in mock exasperation as if this was such an inconvenient request. “But until then, I think setting up camp in the staff room to reminisce might be in order.”

“That’s a sweet thought,” Evvy said warmly. “I mean, I only have a year’s worth of Skyhold memories, but...”

“But that was one hell of an eventful year,” Bull put in. “I’d say we have plenty to discuss.”

“It certainly was,” Cullen said, briefly leaning his head against Evvy’s and smiling. “I like this idea. Everyone can fill me in on things I missed when I was busy running away, too,” he added, chuckling slightly.

“And Fenris and I can hear all the stuff Varric didn’t tell us,” Hawke added.

“You got the important parts,” he said, amused.

“More like we can confirm if anything he told you was wildly exaggerated,” said Dorian. “Although with the tale of the Emerald Princess and the Bashful Knight, there’s not a lot that possibly _can_ be exaggerated.”

“Exactly. I was actually robbed of the opportunity to embellish because their story was already so outlandish.”

“I wouldn’t call it _outlandish_ ,” Cullen protested, searching for another word instead. “Perhaps  _unorthodox_ at worst.”

“ _My_ love life is unorthodox. _Yours_ was on a whole other level, Curly,” Varric assured him.

“I... we... well...” He thought for a moment. “Well, yes, I suppose you’re right. But it only would have been outlandish had it not ended so well.” He smiled.

“The happy ending is always the best part. I don’t write them very well, so I tend to envy people who do.”

“Oh, I don't know,” said a new voice. They all looked up to see Bethany, smiling broadly, making her way to where they sat. “I think you're well on your way to a pretty good one. And you have an _excellent_ co-author for this one, of course.”

A grin broke over Varric’s face. “Well, I can’t argue with that,” he said, rising. Students were waving at Bethany as she passed. “So is this the big mystery, Hawke?”

“Yes, it is. The not completely mysterious mystery.” Hawke smiled and also rose to embrace her sister. “Maker, you made good time.”

“You can say that again. And thank goodness for it too - I don’t want to miss any more Skyhold action than I have to,” she replied, hugging Varric and then her sister, before turning to Evvy. “And a very happy birthday to you, Mrs. Rutherford!”

“My first birthday with that name, even,” Evvy replied, greeting Bethany cordially. “I’m very glad you could join us for it. Will you be going to the faire tomorrow too?”

“Oh, yes, I wouldn’t miss it!” she said, clapping her hands together. “I’m very excited - and can’t wait to dress up. If I’d had more time, I would have made something myself…”

“As I seem to recall telling you once before,” said Varric, handing her a teacup, “you could make a burlap sack look good. You’d kill everyone at the faire if you wore something you made.”

She pretended to sigh in exasperation. “I suppose one must be merciful,” she replied with a smirk. “And I would kiss you for that comment, but I know it would make the kids squeal. So memo to me - I’ll have to do it later.”

There was a general chuckle at that. “They’ve been doing a fair bit of squealing already today,” Evvy said. “My gift from Dorian was a personal performance of Queen’s ‘You’re My Best Friend.’ They went crazy for it.”

“Aww, that’s sweet!” Bethany gushed as Dorian preened. “I imagine they did. After all, the music at Skyhold Academy is becoming legendary.”

“It was a lovely present.” Evvy smiled fondly at Dorian. “And then we had the largest game of hide and seek in the history of anything ever, which was almost not to be described.”

“Oh, this place is a brilliant spot for hide and seek! I’m sorry I missed that.” She smiled.

“And after lunch,” said Josephine, “we teachers were just planning to retire to the staff lounge for some reminiscing of the past year. You’re welcome to join us, of course.”

“I would love that, thank you. I got all the details from Varric, of course, but it would be wonderful to hear other parts of the story I might have missed out on.”

“Sunshine, you wound me. Would I leave out any details?” He grinned. “Assuming I know them all, anyway. Now I’m curious to know if there was anything _I_ missed.”

“Oh, surely we’re allowed _some_ secrets,” said Cullen. He then paused, and placed a hand to his forehead. “Hold on, this is Skyhold. I think I just answered my own question.”

Everyone laughed at that. “Surely you know better by now,” said Blackwall. “But we’ll save it for the staff room.”

“Ah, getting ahead of ourselves, I see,” Dorian replied. “Cake first, salacious stories later.”

“At least someone has their priorities in order,” Solas deadpanned.

* * *

About an hour later, the teachers (and their non-teaching significant others) had gathered in the lounge. Cass started the coffeemaker. “So who is going to go first?” she inquired. “Where do we even begin?”

“The day Evvy arrived?” Josie suggested.

“Ah yes,” said Dorian with a tiny smirk. “The day a unicorn was born.”

“All right, very funny.” Cullen rolled his eyes good-naturedly. “I really did have to get back to class that day, you know. I wasn’t dashing off for the fun of it.”

“Oh, we know,” said Blackwall. “That only makes it funnier. You were so distracted, you barely registered her staring at you.”

“ _Barely_ means I still registered at least something...” He rubbed the back of his neck. “If I’m being perfectly honest, I was thinking to myself, _who is this beautiful woman_?”

The room was filled with teasing chuckles. “You were not,” said Evvy, laughing fondly. “You didn’t even _look_ at me. When I saw you at dinner later I could have sworn you were confused as to why I was at the staff table.”

“That was not confusion, my darling. I couldn’t keep my eyes off you... but we’d only just met. And I was, well...”

“Unicorn,” said Dorian.

“Yes, Dorian, thank you so much.”

“Meanwhile, Sparkler and I were muttering to each other about the two of you, and how horrified we were that Siren was helping you with your weird tie collection,” Varric joked. “I’ll never forget what he said. ‘These two are absolutely made for each other and they don’t even know it. What a travesty. I’m going to enjoy every _second_ of it.’ And he did.”

“I did indeed. Well, except for the part where I almost strangled Cullen with his IV line in the hospital, but otherwise it was the most enjoyable glorious travesty I’ve ever witnessed.”

“To be perfectly honest,” said Josephine, “I don’t think most of us ever quite got the straight of what happened with all of that. I mean, we know about Cullen’s heart condition and that he collapsed while dancing and so on, but what happened between Wintersend and the hospital? Things were so tense.”

“I... well, I choked,” Cullen admitted. “When my sister came for Wintersend, she gave me the long and the short of it - that I was going to hurt Evvy if I kept behaving as I was. That was also the first time I admitted my true feelings aloud to anyone. And I had every intention of making it right and then I just... panicked.”

“And I didn’t know _what_ was going on,” Evvy added. “And I was tired of playing cat and mouse, so... I called the whole thing off.”

“She did.” He nodded. “Returned my lucky coin and everything.”

Bethany gasped and clapped a hand over her mouth. “Really? I didn’t know that part!”

“Oh, yes. I thought it was all over. And clearly it is.” He slowly raised his left hand and wiggled the finger that was adorned with his wedding band, smiling. “Very, very over.”

“You got lucky,” his wife retorted, “in that my Fairy Godfather was less willing to give up than I was. If it hadn’t been for Dorian, I’d have left at the end of the school year and that would have been the end of it.”

“Quite,” said Dorian. “I was determined to see him fix it if I had to drag him around by the ear. Of course, I had no idea about the heart condition. That was quite the wrinkle.”

“To put it mildly,” Cassandra interjected. “I wish I had known what you were plotting at the time - I would have broken confidence to warn you away from such a thing. I felt terrible later, even when I knew he would be all right; the look on Evvy’s face when Cullen collapsed was heartbreaking.”

“I thought I’d killed him,” Evvy said quietly.

“Oh, my darling.” Cullen took her hand and kissed it lingeringly. “To be honest, I was more concerned for you than for myself. I hated that I scared you - all of you, and the students too. And I'm sorry I made you feel terrible, Cass.”

“I think it’s safe to say we forgave you,” Cass teased him.

“I know, I know, but still.”

“And to think, he survived all that just to have me almost kill him in the hospital,” said Dorian. “But we don't need to dwell on such matters. I'm sure there are more pleasant things we can discuss.”

“Like the trip to the Fade,” Solas offered. “That was quite the evening.”

“That was the night Curly punched a guy across a room,” Varric reminded Bethany.

“Ooh, yes, one of my favorite parts of this tale,” she said with a chuckle.

“I didn't punch him _across the room_. It was maybe a few feet, at most.”

“This is why you keep me around, Curly, to make you sound like more of a badass than you actually are. Although that particular incident was pretty badass.”

“Well, thank you, I think. I can assure you that was not my intention,” Cullen admitted with a faint laugh. “I was just...  _furious_. I didn’t expect that at all.”

“As I told you at the time, it was amazing,” said Evvy, laughing. “The man was a dirtbag.”

“And we later found out he was in with the Venatori,” Bull added grimly. “If he’d gotten you off the floor like he was trying, things could have gone very badly. Cullen was more of a hero that night than we knew.”

“Maker’s breath, when I first heard that little fact, I regretted not doing worse than merely bruising his jaw.” Cullen shook his head. “Luckily I had reinforcements that night, so he cleared off quickly.” He glanced around at Varric, Blackwall, Dorian, and Bull.

“We _are_ pretty intimidating when you get us all in a group,” Varric noted mildly. “It was kind of cool.”

“Our very own brigade of heroes,” said Josephine with a smile. “A living fairy tale indeed.”

“Well, I’m Cinderella, apparently,” Evvy reminded them, chuckling. “We still need to assign fairy tales to our other pairings one of these days.”

“The sad thing is we probably could at that,” said Dorian, likewise chuckling. “To think, our little outing to the Fade is where you and I first came to be known to each other as ‘Cinderella’ and ‘Fairy Godfather’. And it stuck.”

“Well, it _was_ very apt, the way you magicked me a dress out of practically thin air,” she pointed out, smiling. “I really was prepared to skip the entire evening.”

Cullen laughed almost ponderously. “Had you not gone that night, our story might have been very different. Do you think you still would have arrived at the same conclusion about me had you stayed home that evening?”

Evvy considered it. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “It would probably depend on how you treated me afterward. It was the coin that did it, you know, so... if you’d still given it to me, perhaps.”

Cullen smiled at that. “Of course I would have.”

“Do you still have it in the locket, Evvy?” Bethany wanted to know.

“Oh, always.” She opened the little gold trinket at her throat, revealing the concealed coin. “If I could somehow manage to work something from Dorian and Cole in there, I’d have all four of my boys with me all the time.”

“How sweet of you to say.” Dorian patted her hand with a smile. “I would say you could have a lock of my hair, but, well, that would require me parting with a lock of my hair.”

“And I’d not change a hair on your head, so it’s perhaps best left alone.” She laughed. “All right, who else wants to tell a potentially embarrassing memory?”

“It’s not an embarrassing memory - well, correction, it is for me.” Cullen laughed. “But how about when you invited me to come watch your class that one afternoon?”

“When I...” She paused, thinking. “Oh, when I had them outside to draw the trees?”

“Yes, that’s the one.” He smiled. “The day Michel came to deliver the news about the dance club. I’m sure I’ve probably mentioned this to you before, but I’ll always remember what Cole said to me - _you’re green like the trees, Professor._ Clever boy.”

Evvy giggled a bit. “As I later found out, our dear headmistress sent Michel to deliver the news _on purpose_ because she knew you were there, somehow.” Leliana smirked but made no comment, so the birthday girl continued, “I had no idea why he would be so interested in the club - I still don’t know why Dorian asked me to run the club with him, as far as that goes, but it’s been fun and I’m looking forward to doing it again this year.”

“And I’m looking forward to having you run it with me again this year,” said Dorian. “Truth be told, I asked you because I was already enjoying your company. And, I suspected a certain history teacher might enjoy watching you dance.”

“Oh, you.” Evvy nudged him affectionately. “Well, regarding you visiting my class, I did hear - from more than one student - that they were _delighted_ you came, Cullen. They were also delighted with some of what you were saying - apparently you implied I would be giving you private lessons in drawing?”

He groaned comically. “That’s not what I meant, but it’s how they took it. Once again, our future son was clever - he pointed out that I had no sketchbook even though I had mentioned wanting to learn how to draw too. I replied that I was just observing for the time being and that perhaps you could teach me to draw at another time. I realized how it sounded almost immediately - particularly when Rory squealed.” He laughed again, running a hand through his hair.

“That’s our poetry girl,” said Varric, chuckling. “Pretty sure a lot of the writing assignments I started getting from her after that were about you two - there was a lot of mutual pining in her stories and poems.”

“Really? Oh, Maker.” Cullen chuckled. “I can’t say I’m terribly surprised by that, though. She and Jim certainly were excited when Evvy and I came down from the battlements holding hands.”

“Oh, that’s right. After Jim interrupted us first, of course,” Evvy added. “I honestly expected you to walk away - I wasn’t exactly giving you the warmest welcome home.”

“You were upset. You had every right to be. But I'd had two weeks to think on everything and I knew what I needed to do. What I _wanted_ to do.”

“I almost want to tell you two to get a room,” said Blackwall mildly, “except you probably _would_.”

“They have one,” Dorian pointed out. “Married housing and all that. Oh, come now, Cullen, stop blushing, you ridiculous unicorn.”

Cullen, who was in fact turning slightly red, levelled Dorian with an almost comical glare. “Dorian, I swear, if Evvy and I have other children besides Cole, their first word had better not be ‘unicorn’. I’ll be furious.”

“Easy, tiger,” Evvy said, patting his knee. “Come on, someone tell a funny story so my husband stops turning colors, please.”

“It’s almost like you set up a cue for me, Siren,” Varric teased her. “Funny story? Sure. Maybe you’d like to hear how your engagement ring was selected.”

Bethany giggled. “This is a fun one. I’m in this one.” She beamed.

“The weekend I went home to visit Kirkwall,” Varric continued, “after Sunshine was done with her treatment the day after I arrived, we went shopping. Curly wanted to be prepared in case Siren’s parents tried to pull that arranged marriage crap - he was going to give her another option. But jewelry shopping? Not his area of expertise. So I hired an expert” – he gestured grandly to Bethany – “and told her to pick out a few emerald rings that she liked, and we’d show him the options. You remember, Sparkler?”

“Oh, of course. I happened to be around when Professor Rutherford received the pictures of the rings in question. They were all gorgeous, but when he saw _that_ one -” he pointed to the ring on Evvy’s finger “- he just got this _look_. And perhaps the biggest smile I’ve ever seen. We knew we had a winner. Well, I did at least.”

“So I bought the ring on Curly’s behalf and smuggled it back here to the school. But that’s not the funny part,” Varric added. “The funny part came later, when I was texting Cassandra.”

“When you what?” Bull laughed.

“No, really, that happened. The General and I aren’t _always_ at each other’s throats, you know. Anyway, I told her she should ask Dorian about what I did, and a few minutes later I got this _WHAT?_ on my phone. I could practically hear her squawking from the other side of the sea.”

“I do not _squawk_ ,” she protested, making a tiny noise of disgust. “But I certainly was surprised. The last thing on earth I expected to hear was that Cullen had you picking out rings... for many reasons.”

“That’s me, I’m a helper.” Varric grinned. “Besides, jewelry isn’t exactly _my_ area of expertise either, so it made sense to do it where I had a more knowledgeable assistant.”

“Bethany does have excellent taste,” her sister noted with a bit of pride.

“In everything but men. So she was an ideal helper.”

“Well, isn’t that sweet? Thanks, both of you.” She smiled. “And also, I think that comment of yours proves I do indeed have good taste in men, I might add.”

He gave her a self-deprecating sort of shrug, accompanied by a lopsided grin. “We’ll agree to disagree.”

“Maker’s breath,” muttered Blackwall, mostly joking. “Your ego _isn’t_ completely out of control. Who knew?”

“Don’t let it get around. I have a reputation to uphold.”

“Right, our little secret then.” Bethany laughed, holding a finger up to her lips. “I’ll keep it all to myself. Even though all the secrets I know about you constitute some of the best parts of you, you know.”

“Now, Sunshine, today’s a day for embarrassing Siren, not me.”

“Oh, I don’t know, Varric,” said Evvy with a grin. “Some of these secrets might be very interesting to the rest of us, if Bethany’s willing to share.”

“Oh, where do I even start?” She chuckled. “We have our own crop of stories as our romance was ironed out too.”

Varric coughed. “Let’s leave that for another time, shall we? Anybody want more coffee?”

“Ooh, there’s definitely something there,” Dorian said, smirking as he passed his cup down. “Bethany, darling, we shall have to sit down some time so you can share those stories.” She giggled and nodded.

* * *

The reminiscing continued for a little while longer, but finally the party broke up a bit so everyone could actually get a bit of work done for their classes or extracurriculars before dinner. Varric, not needing to do either, walked out on the battlements with Bethany. “So just what are you planning to dish to Sparkler, exactly?” he asked, closing one eye and giving her a faintly wry smile.

“Hmm, let’s see, I have so much material,” she teased, tapping her fingertips together. “I guess it depends on how much you told the staff - particularly about your visits to Kirkwall, I should think.”

“Well, Cassandra knows a fair bit. Dorian knows some, Cullen knows some - which means Ev knows some by default.” He considered it. “I guess I haven’t told them a whole lot beyond how well you were doing and how much the nurses at your treatment center liked me. They didn’t really ask too many questions, out of respect for your illness I think.”

“Well, that was nice of them.” She smiled and patted his hand. “And don’t worry, I’m largely teasing - I won’t go spreading around information you would prefer remain private, I promise.”

“It’s not like I’m ashamed of you or anything. If I’m ashamed of anything, it’s that I kept you waiting for so long.”

“Don’t you ever be ashamed of that. It was sweeter for the waiting.” She glanced around. “And oh, look, I can give you that kiss I mentioned earlier.” She smiled and leaned in to do so.

“You might not want to do that too much, or I won’t let you leave,” he teased her a few minutes later. “Fair warning.”

“If that’s meant to be a punishment, mission very much not accomplished, because that sounds more like a reward to me.” She grinned. “I mean, home is wonderful, but Skyhold is just fantastic. And Skyhold currently has both you and my sister, so it’s most definitely the place to be.”

“Hm. Yeah. But Kirkwall is Kirkwall, and it has _you_ most of the time, so it’s where I would rather be.”

She giggled at that and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “So tell me a bit more about this faire we’re going to. Can I get a hint as to the surprise that Cullen definitely doesn’t know anything about?”

“Well... I would tell you, Sunshine, but I’d have to surrender my brotherhood membership card. But I guess a hint is allowable. Let’s just say you’ll want to get a good seat when we men sneak off by ourselves.”

“Oh, really?” She grinned again, lifting an eyebrow. “Is it going to be like the inspired performance at Evvy and Cullen’s wedding, by any chance?”

“Similar,” he hedged, “but appropriate to the setting. We’ve been secretly practicing for a couple days. It should be fun.”

“Well, I’m looking forward to it immensely. I’m looking forward to the whole thing, honestly. It’ll be nice to be out and about. Being able to be out and about again is _wonderful_.”

“And your hair’s growing back too,” he noted, lifting a hand to touch it. “I’m glad... I know you missed it.”

“I did,” she said with a little smile, covering his hand with her own. “Hopefully within the next several months it will be back to the length it was before. I’m still wearing my head scarves for the time being, but I can’t wait to abandon them once and for all to be perfectly honest.”

“Would you want a wig?” he mused. “If only for tomorrow or something, special occasions. If you want one I’ll get you one - or you can get a whole rainbow of them and try different colors.”

She laughed slightly. “Generous as usual,” she said with a smile, then pondered the question. “Maybe... I don't know. One of my favorite things about getting dressed up is doing something interesting with my hair, so a wig might be just the thing…”

“We could take the bike into Redcliffe and see what we can find. You haven’t been for a ride with me in a long time.” He smiled. “And tomorrow you get to be a princess if that’s what you want.”

“I would like both those things very much,” she said brightly. “Especially the princess thing - you know I'll never said no to that. But only if you're my prince or my knight or something.”

“I’m not the best choice for a prince. But for you, I will fake it. Hey, maybe we can even get crowns, that’d be fun.”

She looked delighted at the prospect. “Oh, I certainly hope so, that would be wonderful! Ah, my excitement is mounting and we're not even there yet.”

The look on Bethany’s face confirmed that Varric would get her a crown even if it meant stealing it off the head of the guy playing King Calenhad himself. “Well, let’s go wig shopping in the meantime, that’ll kill a couple of hours,” he said. “You need anything while we’re out? An extra pillow for sleeping on big sister’s couch?”

“No, Marian already made sure I want for nothing while I crash here. There is something I could use though - dinner with my favorite writer comes to mind.”

“Milady Sunshine, I am _always_ at your disposal. What would you care to eat?”

“Hmm... well, it's been a while since I've had good Antivan. And I hear Redcliffe has a lovely little Antivan place.”

“It does - Ruffles gets us takeout from there sometimes. Let me just text Hawke and tell her they shouldn’t expect us for dinner, and we’ll head out.” He tapped at his phone for a minute. “All right, madam, consider yourself formally abducted.”

“Best abduction I could possibly ask for.” She laughed, linking her arm in his. “Lead the way, my prince.”


	3. Favors and Fortune

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang heads to the Exalted Age faire. The kids from "The Year of the Unicorn and the Emerald Princess" make a reappearance, there are more cameos, more singing, and a grand melee. Basically all the shenanigans you'd expect from Skyhold Academy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for your patience! This "chapter" is pretty long, so hopefully that's a nice consolation prize for the delay in updates.
> 
> As you might be able to guess, the "Exalted Age faire" is basically the universe-appropriate version of a Renaissance faire. I've never been to one, so you can thank LadyNorbert for all of the Ren Faire awesomeness that was used as inspiration for this chapter. And yes, all the canon characters are in their costumes from the game - just in case this fic wasn't meta enough. ;)
> 
> We also introduce a new student briefly in this chapter - he comes from this video of Leliana and one of the Skyhold runners in the game [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EAEQBvoRTQ]. Both LadyNorbert and I agreed his name is Seamus and that he absolutely needed to make an appearance in this series. You can also find him in LadyNorbert's brilliant "All This Sh*t Is Twice As Weird" during a chapter where he writes a letter to his family. 
> 
> Additionally, while we're on the subject of videos, the two songs that are sung in this chapter are Celtic Thunder's "Heartland" [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FExIWex_vc (this is a live version, so sorry for all the cheering ;))] and Celtic Woman's "Mo Ghile Mear" [this version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjLqXezaXs8]. Enjoy!!

* * *

**Favors and Fortune**

* * *

Bethany was sporting a soft black wig the next morning when they boarded the early buses that would take them to Crestwood. It fell a little way past her shoulders, but was the closest she could find to the hairstyle she had favored before the illness robbed her of her hair.

“All right, kids, settle down,” Varric was telling the students. “Now, when we get there, anybody who wants to get dressed up should form a line together. All the costume shops are near the entrance to the village; you can rent whatever you want _as long as it’s tasteful_. Emphasis from the headmistress. We do expect Skyhold students to behave themselves. No throwing beer. Got it?”

There were several giggles, a few groans at the notion of having to behave themselves, and a couple requests for Varric to define the parameters of ‘tasteful’, but everyone chirped their assent.

“And if you do dress up, make sure you get pictures,” Josephine added cheerfully. “So we can put them in the yearbook.”

“That’s one of the reasons you kids have phones,” Varric agreed. “All right. Let’s head out.” He sat down and texted the other male teachers, plus Krem. _One more rehearsal before the actual show? Or do you think we’re ready?_

 _One final practice is always a good idea,_ said Dorian. _The only problem is where would we do it without getting caught?_

 _Maybe we can sneak away while everyone’s having their picnic lunch_ , offered Blackwall. _Either that or we wing it._

 _Wing it? Wing it?! Perish the thought!_ Dorian replied. _Sneaking away sounds like the best course of action. Agreed, gentlemen?_

 _Probably, yes_ , said Cullen.

 _Good thing I upgraded my sneak skill last time I played Skyrim_ , Solas put in. Even in text form, his dryness was evident.

_Cute, Chuckles. All right, half past twelve we make a mass exodus. Claim we’re heading for the men’s room or something. Good luck._

Varric put away the phone and grinned at Bethany. “Just plotting. So, Sunshine, you excited?”

“Absolutely!” She twirled her finger through a lock of the synthetic hair, obviously enjoying the act of such a thing. “I haven't been to a faire like this in ages - and present company makes it even better.”

“Well, I’ve never been to anything with my very own princess to lead me around by the nose, so it should be interesting,” he teased her. “You let me know if there’s anything particular you want to do while we’re there.”

“Will do. I guess I have to see just what they have. I do know I want _something_ as a souvenir and that I want to take a lot of pictures.”

“I can definitely make both of those things happen. And if there’s a crown to be had, it’s yours.”

“I can't wait.” She chuckled and kissed his cheek. “The one day that being called ‘Milady’ works all the better.”

“True. Get used to it, you're a princess.” He winked.

* * *

They had a time herding the excited students into the costume rental. Fortunately, the village stocked period-style clothing in all shapes and sizes, so it wasn’t too difficult for the kids to find outfits; Bull was the only real challenge.

“What are you all considering?” Evvy called to the other women, as they combed the racks.

“I’m hoping for armor of some kind,” Cass replied as she explored.

“Maybe you and Mahanon could match!” Josie gushed. “I’m hoping for something pretty yet practical, maybe in gold. Maybe with a few frills. After all, Varric calls me ‘Ruffles’ for good reason,” she added with a laugh. “What about you, Evvy? Something green?”

“But of course.” She laughed. “With a corset, if I can.” She paused. “Bethany, come here a second.”

Bethany walked to Evvy’s side, looking curious. “What’d you find?”

Evvy pulled a dress from the rack and held it against Bethany, scrutinizing thoughtfully. It was a soft pink, cinched at the waist with a periwinkle blue bodice. “I think you should try this on - it compliments your coloring beautifully.”

“Oh, just look at it!” She studied the dress in obvious delight, running her fingers over the fabric. “It's gorgeous! Oh, I'll most definitely try this one, I'll be back in a tick.”

Hawke watched her go in some amusement. “She’s in her glory here. Oh, and there’s some green pieces in this corner, Ev. I found a pair of velvet trousers I’m going to wear with this nice white shirt.”

“No dress?” Josie inquired sweetly.

“How long have you known me?!”

There was a round of laughter at that. A few minutes later, Bethany reappeared, wearing the dress and a massive smile. She struck a pose, both hands on her hips as she modeled. “So, what do you think?”

“I think Varric’s going to collapse,” Hawke teased her. “You look beautiful, baby sister.”

“Aww, thank you.” She preened a little, giving a small twirl. “I look forward to the look on his face. Thank you for finding it, Evvy.”

“You’re very welcome.” Evvy smiled, plucking an outfit from the rack. “I think this is just what I wanted. My turn to be right back.”

“I’ve got mine too, wait for me!” said Josie, and they disappeared into the changing area.

“Hawke, help me find some armor,” said Cass, chuckling as Josephine and Evvy ran off. “It will take more than an Exalted Age faire to get me into a dress, after all.”

“I’m with you, Cass. Come on, I think the armor’s in the next shop.”

Several minutes later, the women reconvened - Cass in armor, Hawke in formal attire that was _not_ a dress. Leliana wore a purple hood over a chain mail dress of sorts. Josephine was garbed in blue and gold; Evvy’s dress was emerald green with a gold cincher. “Now we just have to wait for the menfolk. Amazing how we’re ready first,” Hawke joked.

“I'm not terribly surprised by that fact,” said Cass, smirking. “Our men are hopelessly complicated, after all. You all look fantastic, by the way.”

“You do too, Cass. That armor is perfect for you - fierce but feminine.” Evvy chuckled. “Mahanon is going to be delighted.”

“I imagine he will be.” She smiled. “I wonder if any of the men will be in armor. I assume at least some of them will be.”

“Non’s planning on it, I know. I think Cullen wanted to try it too... Bethany? Any idea what Varric has in mind?”

“Only that he promised to be the prince to my princess. Whatever that entails I’m not sure - although hopefully there’s crowns,” she added with a laugh.

“I promised a crown, a crown you get,” said a voice, as Varric appeared. He himself was in armor, with a splendid red and gold tabard adorning the ensemble, and in his hands was a delicate gold tiara. “Ladies, you’re all resplendent. Princess?” He held up the crown to place on her head. “Allow me to swear fealty to you.” He smirked.

“Okay... this is the best day ever.” She laughed, grinning broadly as he placed the tiara on her head. “Varric, you look... Maker, you look fantastic. I mean...” She cleared her throat. “My dear faithful prince, you honor me with your promises of allegiance. You look very handsome, Ser.” She made it through almost all of the little speech without giggling.

He chuckled, and lifted the crown. “This is yours, by the way. Not a rental. The dress too, I already made the arrangements.” He settled the crown on her head. “There, you’re glorious; I’ll try not to disgrace you in the tournament.”

“You could never disgrace me in anything ever,” she assured him. “And thank you, you didn’t have to _buy_ me all these things. But I do love them.”

“Oh, we’re just getting started.” Varric winked at Hawke, who laughed and rolled her eyes. “Ah, here comes Curly.” He chuckled; Cullen looked a little embarrassed as he strolled toward them. His suit of armor included what looked like leather pants, and a surcoat with a fluffy collar like a lion’s mane.

“Cullen, Maker’s breath.” Cassandra laughed. “You look...”

“It’s too much, isn’t it? I thought it was.” He rubbed the back of his neck with one hand and fussed with the fur of the surcoat with the other. “Also, it’s... warm. Perhaps I didn’t think this all the way thr-” He looked over at Evvy and the words died on his lips as he caught sight of her in her green gown.

“You look marvelous, darling,” she told him, moving over to smooth the fur for him. “So heroic. Are you planning to enter the tournament? Or will you watch with me?”

“I...” He stammered the single syllable, blinking at his wife in a daze. “I was thinking about it. But I can watch instead if you want. Whatever you want.”

Evvy sighed, smiling. “May the honeymoon never end,” she said, kissing his cheek. “You can enter if you promise to be careful; I’ll give you my favor to carry into battle. I guess we’d all better get some ribbons for that purpose, hm?” She gave Bethany in particular a little grin.

“Yes, an excellent idea,” Bethany agreed, returning the smile knowingly. “We can all color-coordinate with our outfits, and send each of our gallant heroes off to battle.”

“Are the kids all costumed up?” Varric asked.

“Getting there,” Bull rumbled, joining the crowd. “Heh, look at all of you, this is great. We’ve got to get some pictures.” He was shirtless, with a strange harness supporting him on one side. “You should have heard Krem giving me grief about my ‘pillowy man bosoms’ in this thing. Brat,” he added fondly.

“Maybe so, but the boy is certainly eloquent,” added Dorian, also sauntering up. “And not entirely wrong.” For his part, the music professor was in an almost impossibly shiny outfit, accented with a white cloak and a number of belts and sashes. He looked more than a little pleased with himself and held out his arms as he arrived, doing a little turn.

“Dori, you look smashing.” Evvy laughed. “For the first time, I can really appreciate just why Varric calls you ‘Sparkler’.”

“They’ll be able to see you coming for miles,” Cassandra teased.

“And you as well,” he fired back, smirking. “And thank you, Evvy, dear. You look divine as always.”

“I agree with Bull, we need photos,” said Josie. “When the others get here, we’ll have to take some. Oh, look at Solas!” She pointed at the approaching science professor, who wore light armor with a faux wolf pelt draped over one shoulder.

“What. Is. This?” Dorian said, gesturing to the ensemble. “Really taking the whole ‘Dread Wolf’ thing seriously, are we? What are you supposed to be, some kind of woodsman?”

“Something like that,” Solas replied pleasantly. “It amused me too much not to wear it. Blackwall and Mahanon are still getting their armor adjusted, they should be along presently.”

Josie sighed dreamily at the prospect of Blackwall in his armor, while Cassandra tried not to look _too_ eager at the prospect of Non in his. “Well, we’ve already stated we’re getting a group photo when we’re all together,” said Leliana, smirking as she watched both of her friends nearly swoon. “So no one go running off just yet.”

“We could do the couple photos for the ones who are here in the meantime,” Hawke suggested. “And I want one with these two lovebirds.”

“Absolutely, sis!” Bethany said brightly. “I want lots of photos from today - you know how I like taking photos. Come on, we can do one now while we wait.”

They took one of Varric standing between ‘his girls,’ with his arms around their shoulders. Hawke then stepped aside and he, feeling playful, dropped to one knee before his ‘princess’ and saluted with his fist over his heart for the next picture.

“Oh stop, you two, I’m getting cavities,” Fenris deadpanned as he joined them. His wife could only stare for a moment; he was in skintight black leather, with armored spikes jutting out all over the costume. “They didn’t have a whole lot that fit me properly,” he said, a little defensive.

“Fenris!” Bethany said in delighted surprise. “You’re so... spiky.” She laughed. “And it looks great on you, well done! Also, well done making my sister make that face,” she added, gesturing toward Hawke with her head and laughing again.

Hawke cleared her throat, gave Bethany a sideways, teasing glare, then smiled at her husband. “You look fantastic, don’t worry. The costume people did right by you. Now, I’d like a picture of us - if I can put an arm around you without injuring myself, that is.”

It was a challenge, but they managed the photo, followed by one of Hawke with Varric and then all four of them together.

“All right, Cullen and Evvy next,” said Varric, taking over as photographer. “Where’s Cole? We should get one of the three of you at some point too.”

“When last I saw him, he was very cheerfully trying on hats,” Cullen reported, chuckling. “We may actually have to go save him from the costume place or I fear he may be there forever.”

“Well, we’ll get you two quick and then you can go find him while we collect the rest of our stray adults. Come on, act like you like each other.”

“We all know that’s not a challenge.” Cullen laughed. He playfully caught his wife around the waist and pulled her close.

“I know, but it’s funny to say.” Varric shrugged, snapping a couple photos of them before next turning his attention to Bull and Dorian. “And let’s get one of our lovely headmistress, and the Dread Wolf... and look at that, we killed the perfect amount of time. Here come the remaining knights.”

“Well, isn’t that precious? You and Mahanon almost match, Cassandra,” said Dorian. “Cassandra? Cass? Forget it, she’s not paying me any attention at all.” He snickered as he watched her gape.

Mahanon grinned at Cass. It was true; their armor was remarkably similar, apart from the coloring. “You look magnificent, my lady. I tremble for whatever opponent is forced to contend with both your skill and your beauty in the ring.”

She blushed a little, but smiled brightly. “Well, thank you. You look wonderful too.” She coughed. “Very much so. Ah, you both do,” she amended, nodding to Blackwall.

“Yes, indeed,” said Josephine, beaming shyly. “You look very handsome.”

Blackwall responded by bowing to her, and presenting her with a single daisy he’d plucked on his way back from the armorer’s stall. “It’s no crown, I admit, but _someone_ beat me to the only one left.” He mock-glared at Varric, who smirked.

“Come on, let’s finish these couple photos so we can get someone to take a picture of the whole staff together,” Evvy proposed. “Then we need to go do some actual chaperoning.”

“Oh, yes! Chaperoning! Of course,” said Josephine, who was busy placing the daisy in her hair and looking beyond delighted with it. She moved in to get a photo with Blackwall, while Cassandra did likewise with Non.

After recruiting a faire employee to take the group photo, and after Varric procured a pile of ribbons from one vendor for the ladies to give out as favors, they split off in different directions to see about actually minding their students while enjoying the day. “Down this way is all the amateur competition stuff,” said Blackwall, reading the map and pointing. “Axe throwing, mock jousting, test of strength... sounds like fun.”

 “I think I may try my hand at the test of strength,” Cassandra replied. “It’s always been a favorite of mine at every carnival and fair I’ve ever attended.”

“I was thinking I’d try it as well,” said Blackwall. “Though the mock joust also looks like it’s ridiculous enough to be enjoyable.”

“How exactly does one ‘mock joust’?” Josephine mused.

“It’s a contraption that lets you sit in a sort of carriage,” he explained as they walked, “and it’s painted up to look like a horse. They give you a lance and the carriage is on cables, and as it swings forward you try to spear the lance through a ring. I’ve seen pictures of it, but never actually tried it. They call it the quintaine.”

“That actually sounds difficult. But clever. I look forward to seeing it,” she replied.

“What time is the tournament?” Cassandra asked, peering. “I imagine it’s probably the crowning event of the day, so I would assume it’s later?”

“Yes, it’s the second last event of the day, at four-thirty,” Blackwall replied, studying the schedule. “After it’s over, everyone goes to the Theater Stage for the knighting of the victor by King Calenhad, followed by a lot of sing-alongs and that sort of thing. Closing ceremonies.”

“Sing-alongs? We'll all fit right in then.” Cassandra laughed.

“We really will,” Cullen agreed. “Well, I'm going to go find Cole, I'll catch up with you all a little later.”

“I’ll come with you,” said Evvy. “I want to see what he chose for his costume. And I need to find Grim and make sure he gets his reward for winning the game yesterday.”

“Sounds perfect.” He offered her his arm (with some difficulty - he clearly was not used to the weight of the armor).

As the Rutherfords headed off in search of their son, Cassandra glanced around the games area. “All right, I’m taking on the test of strength.” She made a beeline in that direction, followed by a laughing Mahanon and an incredulous Blackwall.

* * *

Meanwhile, Dorian (privately enjoying his costume quite a bit as he glittered in the sun) had stumbled upon the stalls selling various goods. Within seconds, he found stalls selling the two things that naturally made him the happiest of all the products in the faire - books and musical instruments. He quickly became absorbed in browsing, looking a bit like a child on Wintersend morning.

“Well, finally, someone with good taste,” said a vendor, emerging from the back of the tent with a pile of books. He gave Dorian a very curious once-over. “Say, did you hear about the uprising in the south? Very stiff resistance.” He winked and got back to work.

One of Dorian’s eyebrows arched up very slowly and he chuckled quietly. “Is that so?” he remarked, more to himself than anything else, smirking slightly as he continued to browse.

“Are you looking for anything particular today?” the vendor asked over his shoulder, organizing a shelf that didn’t necessarily need it.

“Not specifically. Just something I don’t already have - and that’s not an easy task. Any recommendations?”

“There are some excellent antique volumes about Chantry history over there, and all my novels of questionable taste are along this section right here. Don’t know if that helps.”

“Ah, both Chantry history _and_ novels of questionable taste in one stop? Sounds like paradise. Good man.” He smiled slightly and moved over to the section harboring said novels. “Hmm. I actually have a few of these already,” he remarked with a laugh.

“Always a pleasure to speak with a man of discerning sensibilities,” came the chuckling reply. “If you’re looking for any Tethras, however, I’m afraid I’m sold out.” He winked again.

“Trust me, I’m never looking for that, so that fact makes me like this fine establishment all the more,” Dorian said dryly, smiling. “I’m surrounded by far too much of that already.”

“Ouch.” The other man laughed. “Most people aren’t quite so straightforward about their dislike of such a popular writer.”

“Overexposure, more like. He's a co-worker.”

The bookseller blinked. “Oh, that’s right! They did say Skyhold Academy would be here today! Well, then, you get the educator’s discount - ten percent off anything.”

“Well, this is truly an excellent day then, isn’t it?” Dorian’s smile widened and he set to the task of gathering up a tidy little arm full of various books.

Before the bookseller could start laying on the charm any thicker, however, Bull entered the shop. “There you are, _kadan_. Buying out the store?”

“Ten percent discount, _amatus,_ ” Dorian said by way of greeting. “You're just in time - I shall need you to help carry things.”

“You’d better make it worth my while,” said the hulking man in a genial tone. He nodded at the merchant, who quailed under the scrutiny of the giant and scurried back behind the counter.

“We can negotiate that,” Dorian remarked, chuckling slightly. “Incidentally, were you watching that entire exchange or do you just have a sort of sixth sense?”

“As Varric might say, a little of column A, a little of column B.” He smirked. “It was very entertaining.”

“Oh, well I’m glad I could be entertaining,” Dorian replied in obviously fake annoyance, smiling a bit as he did so. “It was certainly flattering, I’ll say that much,” he added quietly. “But I hope you know I _was_ going to throw the brakes on it, were it to come to that.”

“ _Kadan_ , we wouldn’t have much of a relationship if I couldn’t trust you. Of course I know that.” Bull chuckled. “Nothing wrong with you enjoying being appreciated. I enjoy you being appreciated too.”

“Well, good. Thank you, I think.” He chuckled slightly. “I think there’s just something about this outfit that makes me even more irresistible than usual.”

“Hmm. There is that.” Bull smirked. “But we’ll discuss that later.”

“Indeed.” Dorian quirked an eyebrow. “And now, if you’re quite finished scaring my new almost-friend half to death, I have to go see what instruments they’re selling over at that other stand. And I’m sure you’ll want to come along, because I’m almost certain this isn’t the only time someone is going to appreciate me today. It’s the curse of being this beautiful.”

“Wouldn’t miss it.”

* * *

Meanwhile, Evvy and Cullen succeeded in tracking down Grim, if not their son, and gave him some spending money for the day. “Your prize for winning the hide and seek game,” she explained.

“Hm.” His grunt managed to sound appreciative.

As the taciturn student walked away, Evvy found herself suddenly accosted by one of the wandering performers. “Good day, beautiful lady!” he said in a heavy Antivan accent. “You are just what we need - will you come and participate in the dancing that’s about to begin?”

Cullen looked mildly bewildered, but also a touch amused. He gave his wife a smile. “Well, that sounds... unexpected and enjoyable,” he remarked with a shrug. “And you _are_ a brilliant dancer.”

“You’re too sweet, love. Very well, my lord of Antiva, please - lead the way.” She flashed her husband a smile and allowed the stranger to lead her by the hand to a stage, where couples were lined up for a dance.

“You aren’t dancing?” asked a voice. Cullen turned to see Leliana wander over to join him.

“No. At least not that kind of dance.” He smiled. “I’m very interested in watching, though. Evvy’s just been partnered.”

“So I see.” She was chuckling. “I can hardly wait to see how her partner conducts himself.”

“You and me both,” Cullen replied, grimacing comically. “If nothing else, he has good eyesight - he wandered over and his first words were ‘good day, beautiful lady’. So that’s something.”

The couples onstage began to move through the traditional dance routine - slowly, at first, so the fair visitors could learn how it went. Evvy’s months of dance club were in her favor, and she grasped the steps quickly. “Marvelous,” drawled the Antivan man, his tattoos quirking as he smiled at her. “You are the picture of elegance.”

Cullen was deeply amused for the most part, enjoying the dance steps and Evvy’s ease of movement, although he was a tad jealous that he couldn’t participate as well (the steps were a bit fast for his heart condition). “She looks wonderful up there,” he commented, beaming.

“She’s a remarkable dancer,” Leliana agreed. “But I’m sure she wishes she was dancing with you.”

Cullen nodded, and his smile widened ever so slightly. “I know. But if I tried this dance, it wouldn’t end well for either of us.” He laughed. “I’m just glad to see her enjoying herself - that’s all I really could have wanted from today.”

Once the song ended, the Antivan man bent and kissed Evvy’s hand. “You dance gloriously. I suppose there’s no chance your husband would allow us to keep you?” He chuckled. “Come, I will return you to him.”

Cullen was clapping as the dance came to an end. “Well, that was...” He suddenly caught the look on Leliana’s face out of the corner of his eye as Evvy and the strange man approached. “Are you all right?”

“I don’t believe this,” she was chuckling, her face lighting in a grin. “I thought it _looked_ like him, I didn’t think it actually _was_ him.” She raised her hand in a wave. “Zevran!”

“My dear Leliana, I hardly dared to believe that was you. You are as radiant as you were the last time I saw you.” He handed Evvy off to Cullen and kissed Leliana’s hands. “Perhaps I will steal you for a dance next.”

“I would very much enjoy that.” She smiled. “How are you? It seems like it’s been ages.”

“You two know each other?” Cullen inquired.

“Indeed! We go way back - the two of us, and the President and First Lady. We are all old friends,” replied the man she had identified as Zevran. “And you must be one of the teachers at the illustrious Skyhold.”

“Ah, yes, Cullen Rutherford, history professor. It's good to meet you.” He extended a hand. “And you met my wife Evangeline, of course.”

“Zevran Aranai of Antiva, at your service.” He executed a charming bow. “Well, Leliana, the next dance will be happening in a few minutes if you are willing to indulge me?”

“Of course.” She chuckled warmly. “Wouldn't miss it. I think we have some catching up to do as well.”

“We’ll be watching the dance,” said Evvy, grinning, “but then I think we’ll renew our efforts to find our son. Enjoy yourself, Leliana - lovely to meet you, Zevran.”

“I will indeed. And I'll see you both at lunch.” She smiled at them and allowed Zevran to lead her out to where the next dance was going to take place.

“Did you enjoy watching us, dear?” Evvy inquired.

“Absolutely, you looked incredible! I'm only sorry I can't dance like that with you.” He smiled and kissed her cheek. “Did you have fun?”

“Once I understood what I was doing, yes.” She laughed. “Getting hungry, though, I can hardly wait for lunch.”

* * *

Varric and Bethany strolled through the faire for a while, enjoying the excited din of the crowd. Eventually, he glanced at her. “Is there anything you want to do? You have to let me know if you’re getting too tired or warm or something, all right?”

“I’ll let you know, I promise.” She tapped her chin, thinking carefully. “Hmm... well, as you know, I need a souvenir. We could always explore some shops. What do _you_ want to do?”

“Honestly, princess, all I want is to follow you around and bask in the Sunshine.” He smirked fondly. “Anything your little heart desires is just fine with me.”

She smiled back and gave his cheek a quick peck. “You really are the sweetest. You know that, right?”

“I’m a miserable curmudgeon and you’re ruining my reputation,” he corrected her teasingly. “You bring out my hidden romantic side and then nobody takes me seriously when I’m grumpy.”

“Oh, yes, right, I’m terribly sorry,” she said, in a tone that suggested she was nothing of the sort. She smiled and slipped her arm into the crook of his. “Now, let’s go find something fun. Jewelry comes to mind.” She giggled.

“I know your weaknesses, Sunshine. Looks like there’s a couple jewelers right over that way - maybe we can get something to match your crown,” he suggested.

“Good idea. Oh, now I have to face the hard questions - do I want a necklace or rings? The struggle is real, as the students might say,” she said with a laugh.

“You say that as though you have any sort of a limit. Since when do I ever say no?” he retorted.

“Never. But I’m not about to take advantage of that...” She glanced over at the cases and bit her lip. “Oh, fine. I know I’m not winning this argument and those are _really_ pretty.”

“Well, then, tell the nice lady what you want to see, Sunshine.” Varric chuckled. “I will draw the line at ‘everything,’ but go a little crazy if you’re so inclined.”

She laughed fondly and after a few minutes had narrowed the selection down to a matching ring, bracelet, and necklace set that matched the crown almost perfectly. “Remember what I said a few minutes ago about you being the sweetest? It still stands,” she told him, beaming. “Are you sure this isn’t too much?”

“They’ll go very nicely with your Orlesian gown when you wear that,” he pointed out. “You can’t be merciful to the society types _all_ the time.”

“Well then I guess that settles it.” She chuckled, and slid the purchases forward to be rung out. “Thank you, Varric. The day’s hardly started, but between this and yesterday, you’re already spoiling me rotten. It’s nice to have pretty things again, though.”

He clenched his jaw very briefly, though he smiled grandly at the clerk as he handed over the money. “Go ahead and put those on, Sunshine.” He watched her for a long moment. “I’m just glad you’re here to spoil.”

“Me too.” She nodded, smiling softly at him. “Thanks in no small part to you. You helped provide the medicine for the soul while they gave me medicine for the body, if that doesn’t sound too terribly tacky to say.”

“Not at all. Maker knows I was trying.”

“Well, you succeeded. I think I’m proof of that.” Her smile widened and she reached out to take his hand. “Come on, let’s go see what other trouble we can get into before lunch.”

“Hang on.” They moved out into the sunlight, and he paused, adjusting her necklace carefully with his rough hands. “There. Just like an actual princess. Absolutely flawless.”

“Thank you, my prince.” She caught one of his hands and gently tugged him over to have a seat on the stone wall nearby. As she sat, she stretched out, her eyes closed blissfully as she leaned back to enjoy the sun on her face.

He sat down beside her and just watched her for a few minutes, his expression softer than usual. She looked happy, healthy, and relaxed - exactly what he wanted her to be. Words tumbled out of his mouth, unexpected and catching him by surprise. “I love you more than I ever loved anything in my whole life.”

She opened her eyes and blinked at him. Now she was basking not in the sun, but in the glow of his comment. “Me too,” she whispered. “I love you more than anything in the world.” She leaned against him, readjusting herself so she could curl in his arms.

“This is dangerous,” he noted mildly. “I’m actually starting to get used to being happy and that scares me.”

“Don’t be scared,” she said with a little laugh. “I think maybe the universe is just finally giving us what we deserve. And who are we to argue with that?”

“Sunshine, there is no way I’m ever going to believe I deserve _you_ , in this or any other universe. But I’m not going to argue either - found out the hard way what happens if I do that.”

She looked thoughtful for a moment as she snuggled more firmly in his arms. “Well, whether or not you deserve me, you have me. And that’s the only thing that matters.”

“Works for me, sweetheart. Now, you want your old man to show off in the tournament later, or no?” Varric chuckled. “I need to mentally prepare for this. Maybe throw some knives or something first.”

“Oh, how romantic, then I could give you my favor,” she said with a laugh, but lifted an eyebrow. “As long as it’s all safe, of course. I don’t want you getting injured.”

“I’m pretty sure a lot of it’s stage combat. Don’t worry, if it gets too bad I’ll hide behind Hero or Tiny or something.” He kissed her forehead before releasing her. “Let’s go see if we can find some of the kids we’re allegedly supposed to be watching.”

“Oh, yes, probably a smart plan.” She chuckled, shielding her eyes as she looked around. “I think that little troop over there are some Skyholders, aren’t they?”

“The partners in crime, if my eyes don’t deceive me. And Krem? Since when does Krem hang around with those guys? Maybe they’re just part of his fan club,” he mused. “All right, let’s go be the cool chaperones.”

She smiled and hopped down carefully from the wall, taking his hand as they made their way over. She waved with the free one, a gesture which Jim and Nessa returned. Rory seemed slightly too distracted by something to pay them much attention. “Hello, you all,” Bethany greeted them cheerfully. “Having fun?”

“This place is amazing,” Nessa gushed. “And oh, Miss Hawke, you look beautiful!”

“Thank you, sweetheart.” She beamed. “You all look wonderful, too! Very festive! Krem, you wear that armor like a natural.”

“Ah, thanks, Miss H,” he replied amiably. “I was hoping they’d let me enter the tourney because I’m a Senior, but they still said no.”

“Oh, well, there’s always next year,” she assured him, then glanced over. “Say, Rory, are you drinking enough water? You look really flushed.”

“Hm? What?” She looked over in surprise, as if shocked that Bethany and Varric were standing there in the first place. “Oh! Oh, no, uh... I’m fine, thanks. Also, shut up, Jim,” she added, glaring at her best friend as he snickered.

Varric, quick on the uptake in this particular scenario, stifled a snicker of his own. “Well, we were going to go back to the gaming area, if anyone wants to come. Could win some fun prizes maybe.”

“Sure, that sounds great,” Jim answered, recovering from his bout of laughter.

“I’m really bad at games of chance, but yeah, okay,” Rory managed. She was attempting to very deliberately look at a pole several feet in front of her and not at anyone in the immediate group of students. It was not a very successful effort.

“You know,” said Varric as they walked, “Professor Rutherford is going to be entering the tourney wearing Mrs. Rutherford’s favor. And I _think_ Mr. Blackwall might be wearing Ms. Montilyet’s, but so far that’s just a spurious rumor. You could get some new story ideas today, you two.”

Rory stopped dead at that news, which caused Jim to almost crash into her. “You’re kidding?” she said, eyes wide. “They’re actually doing the lady’s favor thing? Be still my shipper heart.”

“Oh, yeah, we bought a pile of ribbons for that exact purpose. Speaking of which...” He glanced at Bethany and nodded.

“Oh, yes! You rather need mine, don’t you?” Bethany said, retrieving the ribbon in question.

“Jim, I’m going to _die_ ,” Rory said softly, clutching Jim’s arm.

“Really? Again? You’re doing a lot of dying today. Isn’t that what you said when K-” he stopped as she elbowed him sharply.

“Miss Norbertson just has a lot of feels,” said Varric sagely, chuckling. He and Bethany shared a smile as she tied the ribbon around his upper arm and ran her thumb over it carefully.

“There, all set.” She beamed. “Now you look like a true knight. And I’m proud of you no matter how you do.”

“I have sworn fealty to my princess and I dedicate any victories to your glory,” he replied with a small grin. “Wait, no - let me crib from those _Ice and Fire_ things. ‘I fight and die for your honor, o glorious Queen.’ That works.”

“Beautiful. As long as there’s no actual dying involved, I’m very on board.” She smiled and squeezed his hand. “Also, a queen, huh? I’ve moved up in the world.”

“Heh, well, we may need to talk about that at some point. Anyway, here we are - which event should I tackle first, Milady Sunshine?”

“Hmm...” She rubbed her hands together, studying the available feats. “Ooh, archery. That could be fun.”

“I’ve had training on a crossbow, but it was a long time ago. Might be fun to try it again.” He chuckled. “How about it, Krem?”

“Yeah, why not?” He shrugged lightly. “And I’m usually pretty good at anything that involves throwing, so I could try some of those.” He turned to point, thereby missing Rory grab Nessa’s arm for dear life.

“Your years of football have served you well. Maybe you’ll make a decent showing with the knife toss.”

“I might, at that. Maybe I’ll even win something. Someone would have to hold these if I did though.” He chuckled, gesturing to the gloves that obscured his hands.

“Krem, you’re the only student at Skyhold with his own fan club. I’m pretty sure you can find a volunteer.” Varric tried not to smirk at Rory.

“I don't know if I'd call it a ‘fan club’, but yeah.” Krem chuckled again, and pulled the gloves off with his teeth. Rory almost instinctively held a hand out for them, blushing furiously as her partners in crime stifled a laugh. “Oh - thanks, Ror.” He flashed her a smile as he surrendered the gloves.

“A-a-any time,” she stammered. She gave Jim a sideways glare that suggested she would hit him with those gloves if he started laughing, which he looked ready to do. Nessa nodded slightly, as if sympathizing with Rory’s plight, grinning all the while.

Varric chuckled quietly but, as the others moved ahead, he dropped back and spoke into Rory’s ear. “Trust me, kiddo, I understand how you feel.”

“I...” She was going to deny it or play it like she had no clue what he was talking about, but gave that up quickly. “Yeah, it's pretty obvious, isn't it? I, uh... I guess I'm not as mysterious as I think I am.”

He patted her shoulder. “To him it’s not so obvious - any more than _she_ was to me. Eventually it’ll hit him, just like it hit me, and it’ll make his whole life.”

“Oh, I, uh... I doubt that,” she replied, tugging her ear and turning very bright red. “I mean, thanks for saying so, but I figure I'll probably, you know, gawk a bit and do nothing. That's usually how I roll.”

“Ask Miss Hawke how well that worked out for me.”

“Yeah, but I’m...  _me_.” She gestured to herself almost differentially. “I’m not you guys or the Rutherfords. I’m the squealing poetry club girl and he’s...  _that_.” She pointed and sighed, a tad dreamily. “This isn’t a thing that goes on except in Lifetime movies and fanfic, you know?”

Varric couldn’t help chuckling. “And I have a face that was made for radio and a past so broken there’s not enough glue in the world, and she’s _that_.” He gestured. “Believe me, kiddo, I get it. I do. But sometimes, miraculously, we get to be wrong in the best ways. Just think about it. That’s all I’m suggesting.”

In spite of herself, she smiled widely. “Well... maybe. Okay. Thanks, Professor Tethras.”

“Atta girl.” He ruffled her hair. “Here’s a royal, go win a thing.” He winked.

She giggled. “Thanks. I probably won't, because I have zero hand-eye coordination, but I'll give it a shot.”

Chuckling, he sent her off with her friends and went to drape an arm around Bethany. “That was an amusing conversation.”

She smiled. “Yeah? I think I can guess what about too.”

“Probably. But if you get a chance, maybe you can bolster her confidence too.” Quietly, as they watched the kids, he related the substance of his words with Rory. “She sells herself short, and with very little reason.”

“Aww, is that so? I'll definitely give her a little boost if I can do it without being too obvious. I don't know the kids as well as you do, of course, but she seems like a sweetheart.”

“She’s a great kid. Very talented - you should see some of the stuff she turns in. Just doesn’t see herself the way other people see her.”

“I know a few people like that,” she said with a smile. “But Skyhold seems to have a pretty good track record of people like that getting their happy endings, so...”

“That’s what I was trying to point out. She thinks Krem is way too good for her, sort of like I think you’re way too good for me.” He chuckled.

“Is that so?” Her smile widened. “Hopefully she's proven just as wrong as you were - they'd be adorable together.”

“I’m inclined to agree. Except for the part about me being wrong, it’s one of the only times you’ll hear me contradict you.”

She pretended to sigh. “Will I ever be able to convince you that you're worthy, good prince?” she teased.

“Honey, I’m just a frog you kissed.” He smiled at her. “In other words, no. Don’t worry, my ego isn’t _too_ fragile.”

“Well, _I_ think you're worthy, whether you do or not. And I'm just as adamant in my position as you are in yours. So there.” Smirking, she leaned in to kiss him.

“I’m better than worthy - I’m lucky enough to have you _think_ I’m worthy. And at the end of the day, your opinion is the only one that matters.” He adjusted her crown a bit. “Now, Princess, let me try my hand at this crossbow shooting. I fight and die for your honor, o glorious one.”

“I could _really_ get used to being called ‘glorious one,’” she teased. “This I can't wait to see.”

“It’s an appropriate enough description, but I prefer calling you Sunshine.” They wandered over to the crossbows and Varric picked one up experimentally. “Let’s see here... I like the feel of this thing. Be sure to get a picture, Sunshine.” He aimed the weapon and, much to his surprise, hit the bull’s eye. “Well, now.”

Bethany paused from diligently taking pictures and let out a cry of delight. “Look at that!” she called. “That was amazing! _You're_ amazing!”

He slapped some money on the counter. “I want to shoot this thing until I win whatever the biggest prize is you’re offering,” he told the attendant with a grin. “Sunshine! Text the others and tell them I’m in love,” he joked, hefting the crossbow.

She placed her hands over her heart in mock despair. “Oh, to think I've been replaced so soon.” She laughed. “I knew part of your heart would always belong to your typewriter, but now this too? The sacrifices I make.” She laughed again.

“I fight and die for _your_ honor, glorious one,” he reminded her, smiling. “The prize is yours once I win it.”

“Yes, I'm definitely spoiled,” she said with a grin. “Now, I know you were joking about me texting the others specifically to say you're in love, but I definitely think they need to see this.”

“Take a short video of this next shot and send it,” he suggested. “Otherwise they might not believe it.” He lifted the crossbow to aim. “Tell me when you’re recording.”

She tapped her phone screen and lifted the device. “Okay... recording! You can fire at will.” She chuckled.

Varric proceeded to put three more bolts in the target, then waited patiently while she sent the video. “This thing is great.” He turned to the attendant. “What _is_ the biggest prize you offer, anyway?”

The attendant, rather bafflingly at first, pulled out what looked like a simple plastic wristband. “This is it. You get one of these for your every bull’s eye hit - and at the end of the day, present them to King Calenhad. If you’ve earned the most out of everyone here, he’ll reward you with today’s medal of valor.”

“That’s it?” Varric actually felt a little disappointed. “Not exactly what I expected, but... well, I guess a medal from the king isn’t too shabby.”

“No, it isn't shabby at all!” Bethany grinned. “I think it's wonderful!”

“Good enough for me, then. Any responses to your text, Sunshine?”

“Quite a few, actually.” She chuckled, scrolling through. “Josie is impressed by your aim, Cullen wants to know if you won anything, and Dorian calls the crossbow a ‘bizarre contraption’. Yes, that sounds like him all right.”

“His lack of appreciation for my form is a disappointment.” Varric continued firing, hitting the assorted targets and laughing a little. “I wish I had an excuse to carry one of these around with me.”

“Hmm. Ah, you could always use it as a speedy method of mail delivery - stick a message on an arrow, fire it places. I'm sure the headmistress won't mind.” She laughed.

“I’ll ask her,” he said, half seriously. “I might buy one anyway and hang on it on my wall.” He finished his activity and collected the prize bracelets. “Well, hopefully King Calenhad is impressed with this. How are the kids faring?”

“So far so good, I'd say,” she reported, pointing. Krem was trying his hand at the knife toss as suggested while the partners in crime watched; Rory was leaning on her hand as she did so, looking a bit starry-eyed.

“Nice work there, Krem,” Varric complimented as they joined the group. “You and I can be in charge of castle defense - you with knives and me with a crossbow.”

“Thanks, Professor T,” Krem replied with a laugh.

“So, are we writing that fanfic?” Jim asked Rory in a whisper.

“We are most assuredly writing that fanfic,” she replied, her eyes slightly wide.

“I don’t know what you two are plotting, but I know I want to read it,” said Varric.

“You got it, Professor.” Jim laughed. “Now, Rory, what do you say about giving Krem back his gloves, hm?”

“Oh, yes. That’s right. Yeah.” She chuckled weakly and held them out to Krem a bit shyly.

He laughed. “Thank you, my lady,” he said, accepting them with a bow. “Well, we should probably head for the picnic grove for lunch.”

“Good idea,” Bethany agreed, hoping to shift everyone’s attention in the other direction so Rory could swoon with only her giggling best friends to bear witness to it. “I can’t wait to hear what adventures everyone else has been getting up to.”

“And you have shiny things to show off to big sister,” Varric teased her.

“Very true,” she replied with a grin. “And you can dazzle her with stories about your crossbow prowess. Come on, let’s go.”

* * *

Everyone was soon gathered in the picnic grove, and the air was filled with excited chatter. “I could hardly believe that video,” Hawke said. “Now I know what to get for your next birthday, Varric.”

“It was even more impressive in person, I can assure you,” said Bethany, smiling. “He won a very special prize, too.”

“Apparently I get to trade these dinky plastic wristlets for a bronze medal from the king. Maybe, anyway,” he demurred. “Guess I don’t need to enter the tourney after all.”

“Are you afraid you’ll lose?” Cassandra teased.

“To you? Not afraid, more like assuming.”

She chuckled at that. “Well, nothing is certain, but I appreciate the thought anyway. You’d give us all a run for our money if the challenge involved that crossbow, however. Never would have expected that.”

“Neither would I,” he acknowledged. “It felt incredibly natural, though. Maybe some ancestor of mine was proficient with the thing - they say our DNA carries the memories of our ancestors, did you ever hear that? Apparently it’s why sometimes we dream about places we’ve never been.”

“That’s a very romantic notion,” said Cassandra with a sigh.

“And if it’s true, then I’m sure several of my ancestors must have been extremely handsome and charming,” Dorian added.

“Obviously,” said Evvy, laughing. “Though I find myself thinking that our descendants are likely to be a bit confused.” She had three pieces of fried chicken on her plate and was reaching for the dish of corn on the cob. “Pass the butter, please.”

“You’re probably right,” her husband replied, doing as she requested. “I know my family tree was quite linear until I came to Skyhold. Now it probably looks like a giant knot.” He chuckled. “And I won’t have it any other way, of course.”

“None of us would, Curly,” Varric assured him. “So what’s everyone else been up to while I’ve been a medieval mob boss?”

“Well, we found Cole,” Cullen reported, pulling out his phone to show off a picture of Cole in his costume, which included a hat with a brim so wide his face was almost completely shadowed by it. “I’m not quite sure how he can see to walk with that on his head, but he insists he can.”

Evvy glanced over at where her son was sitting with the ‘partners in crime’ and chuckled. “He likes it, which is the most important part. I suspect he’s already composing poetry in his head about today.”

“I’m sure he is, and I look forward to hearing it,” said Dorian with a smile. “Perhaps he’s sharing it with the resident poetry lover as we speak.” He nodded in Rory’s direction.

“Pretty sure she’s going to be writing something too - she and her buddy Jim were muttering about some project inspired by today’s events,” Varric noted. “Apparently watching me get this tied onto my arm was somehow very inspiring.” He indicated Bethany’s favor.

“I’m sure.” Cassandra chuckled. “Just wait until they see the tourney, they’ll really be delighted then.”

“Hell, I might even get inspired myself,” noted the resident author, chuckling. “I never know what’s going to turn itself into a book.”

“Well, I can’t help but notice,” said Hawke, mischievously, “that Bethany is a lot _shinier_ than the last time I saw either of you.”

“I am rather, aren’t I?” Bethany grinned. “I wanted a souvenir from today, but I ended up with several. I’m not complaining about this fact, mind you.”

Everyone sort of looked pointedly at Varric, who shrugged, his mouth full of potato salad. Swallowing, and reaching for a napkin, he asked, “Why are you surprised?”

“Well, he has a point there,” Dorian conceded.

“And I didn’t _ask_ for multiple pieces,” Bethany insisted with a laugh. “It just happened like that.”

“It was a matched set, it went with the crown, she obviously had to have it.” Varric shrugged again. “I told her I drew the line at ‘everything in the store,’ but otherwise I was open to negotiation.”

“I’m spoiled rotten,” Bethany reiterated, patting Varric’s hand with a smile. “But you all already knew that.”

“It’s come to our attention, yes,” Solas remarked, his tone dry and yet kindly. “But all things considered, it’s not difficult to understand.”

“Quite right,” Dorian agreed. He glanced at his watch for approximately the third time since they had convened for lunch. “And now, if you’ll all excuse me, I have something rather important to go take care of. Anyone wish to help?”

“Wh-oh! Yes, count me in,” said Mahanon, rising. “I’ll be back presently, my lady. Gentlemen, I think Dorian needs _all_ of us to assist him.”

“Yes, indeed. And perhaps I’ll borrow a student as well.” Dorian smirked slightly as the male teachers began to get to their feet.

“How very mysterious,” Cass said with a chuckle.

“Have fun!” chirped Bethany.

“Well, ladies, we need to make sure we do a similar convening at some point today,” Josephine reminded them once the men had gone.

Evvy blinked. “We do?”

“Ooh, dueling surprises.” Bethany laughed. “Like when Fenris and sis both accidentally planned solos for each other at the Rutherfords’ wedding. Delightful!”

“Well, at least I’m not the only one in the dark,” Evvy said.

“Sorry, Ev - we wanted to surprise you with this trip, so we couldn’t tell you about the rest,” Hawke explained.

“It's a little surprise for the boys,” said Leliana. “Oh, they may think they're the only ones who know how to plan surprises,” she chuckled, “but we have something just as interesting planned. Gather ‘round.” She quickly brought both Evvy and Bethany up to speed.

“Oh, why am I even surprised by this?” Evvy asked, laughing. “I don’t know the song, but I’ll do my best to learn quickly.”

“No, neither do I,” said Bethany. “But I think we'll be quick studies. This is marvelous - I can't wait to see the looks on their faces.”

“They think they’re putting one over on us,” said Leliana. “They don’t know I ferreted out their secret weeks ago.”

“Nothing escapes Headmistress Nightingale, after all,” said Cassandra with a laugh.

“That, and they're really not as stealthy as they think they are.” Josephine chuckled.

“I _am_ impressed that Cullen didn’t let anything slip to me, though,” Evvy admitted.

“I know, me too,” said Cassandra. “He's absolutely terrible at keeping things from you. I suppose he's better at it when he knows it will be a pleasant surprise, though.”

“That must be it,” Mrs. Rutherford agreed with a grin. “And Non is in on the whole thing too, huh?”

“Oh, yes. They apparently even roped Krem in too.” Cassandra laughed. “It will be quite the number, I'm sure.”

“Ah, well, Rory will enjoy that,” was the sly observation.

“She will indeed.” Bethany laughed. “Varric was giving her advice on the whole matter, apparently. Very precious.”

“Goodness, was he really?” Cassandra tried not to look too amused - or too fond. “That must have been quite the conversation. But hopefully she’ll be able to make use of his remarks.”

“I hope so. I think her plight reminds him a bit of his own, so he speaks from a place of knowledge.” She smiled. “It's sweet that he's trying to help.”

“He’s all right.”

“High praise from you, Cassandra,” Josephine teased her.

“Vitriolic best buds,” said Bethany fondly, shaking her head.

“It does my heart good,” Hawke added, placing a hand over her heart and smirking at Cassandra as she did so.

Cass merely rolled her eyes. “Enough. Should we get in a final rehearsal ourselves, while they’re occupied? Or wait until they come back so someone is here to chaperone?”

“Rehearse now while they’re occupied. I’ll stay behind and chaperone,” said Leliana. “I know the song well, and Josephine can show Bethany and Evvy the ropes herself. If the boys come back, I’ll make up some excuse.”

* * *

The students were somewhat aware that the teachers were up to _something_ , but they weren’t completely sure what. However, since past experience had taught them that teacher shenanigans were usually for their benefit, they knew better than to ask. The afternoon passed in a sunlit haze of wandering minstrels and jugglers, exploring shops and a hedge maze, and listening to various craftspeople talking about their livelihoods.

Finally, everyone began making their way to the combat arena for the great tournament. “Here we go,” said Evvy, taking Cullen’s arm as they walked. “Did you decide whether to enter, dear?”

“I did decide – I’m going to try it” He smiled. “Why not? I figure it will be fun. Although part of me is secretly hoping I’m out early so I can watch.” He chuckled.

“Josie and I will be filming on our phones, so you won’t miss too much,” she promised. “Just be safe, okay?” She took the green ribbon Varric had appropriated for her earlier and tied it around his upper arm. “You have my favor - today and always,” she added fondly.

“Then I’ve already won,” he replied with a smile, gathering her in his arms and kissing her. “And I promise I’ll be careful.”

“Oh good, there you two are,” said Josephine, waving for them to join her. Varric and Bethany were already on hand; both Fenris and Hawke had gone to sign up for the competition, humorously wearing each other’s favors as a sort of joke. “You’d better hurry, Cullen! Down there!”

“Oh, right!” He chuckled. “Wish me luck, everyone.”

“Go get ‘em, Curly,” said Varric with a wave.

“You decided not to enter, then, Varric?” asked Evvy.

“I have a feeling my skills are better suited to composing a ballad about the intrepid warriors than actually trying to be one,” he replied, chuckling. “I’ll stay here with you girls.”

“And me,” added Dorian, strolling up. “While I could easily join such a competition and probably put on a dazzling performance, I much prefer critiquing everyone’s outfits while they’re bashing each other with sticks. Besides, I have too many perfect features - I can’t afford to have any of them damaged by such frivolity.”

“...sure, let’s go with that,” Varric joked. “What he said.”

Bethany chuckled. “Well, we’re very lucky to have you both,” she said, slinging her arm around Varric’s shoulder. “So who do you all think is going to win?”

“The bias of being her best friend means that my royals are automatically on your sister,” Varric replied. “One does not easily best the Champion of Kirkwall.”

“That’s true. She does have some pretty stiff competition though,” she laughed. “Including Fenris. He is very light on his feet, after all.”

“Well, I naturally must place my bet on my husband,” said Evvy. “But I daresay it will be an excellent competition - the good folks of Skyhold are pretty tough. If Cullen hadn’t entered, I would absolutely bet on Mahanon.”

“And we mustn’t forget Cassandra,” Leliana added. “We all know she’s a force to be reckoned with.”

“Yeah, if Hawke weren’t in this, my money’d be on the General,” Varric agreed. “Hey, look, pretzel vendors!”

“Ooh!” Bethany smiled. “Anyone else want one? My treat.”

“You sure, Sunshine? I mean, I could definitely eat one, but...” Varric already had his wallet half out of his pocket.

“I’m sure. You’re sweet, but you’ve already spent so much on me today. Buying a round of snacks is the least I can do,” she assured him, pecking him on the cheek.

He relented, watching her go. “So, have you all had a good time today?” he asked the others.

“It’s been magical,” Evvy assured him. She stifled a tiny giggle, observing that he never quite lost sight of Bethany.

“Simply wonderful,” Josephine agreed. “And we’re very glad you’re enjoying yourself, Evvy. Hopefully this was a good birthday-slash-one year Skyhold anniversary gift.”

“A year today.” She chuckled. “I never guessed, when I walked into the castle, just how much my life was going to change. This seems like the perfect way to celebrate it.”

“A lot changed for a lot of people,” said Dorian. “It’s been a marvelous journey. You’re right - this has been an excellent way to celebrate such a fact.”

Varric smiled, but his expression quickly shifted into a puzzled frown. “Excuse me for a minute,” he said, getting to his feet and starting to move in Bethany’s direction.

“Where’s he going?” Josie craned her neck, trying to see what had called his attention so abruptly.

Dorian got to his feet and shielded his eyes to get a better view. “I think... I think some cretin is about to get his face smashed in - that is, it looks like someone’s made the grave mistake of accosting Bethany. Maker’s breath, what’s going on?”

Evvy stood, frowning, and peered in the direction Dorian was indicating. “Oh no - her wig! What happened to her wig?!”

“What? Did that man pull it off?” Leliana demanded, getting on her feet as well. Even from a distance it was clear to see that Bethany’s eyes were like saucers. She looked mortified and more than a bit apprehensive. “Varric is going to kill him.”

“I’m not sure if he pulled it off, but – ooh, yep, Varric’s got him by the lapels.” Evvy cringed a bit. Security guards were swarming, but a couple of onlookers were apparently defending Varric’s actions.

“Should we go help?” Josephine was asking. “Vouch for him or something?”

“I was going to say yes, but it seems like they’re letting him go,” said Evvy, relieved. As they watched, Bethany’s wig and crown were retrieved and returned to her, and she all but hugged Varric’s arm as he walked her back to where they were sitting, a bag of pretzels in his free hand. His face was a mask of very quiet rage. “Bethany, are you all right?”

“Fine. Shaken up, but fine. Better now,” she added, squeezing Varric’s arm. “Maker, that was... I’m not even sure what happened, it all went down so quickly.”

“The bastard’s just lucky Hawke and Fenris weren’t around, or there wouldn’t be anything left of him,” Varric said evenly, handing the bag of pretzels to Josephine. “I couldn’t hear what he said, but he went to run his fingers through Sunshine’s hair and accidentally pulled off the wig. Then he - well, let’s just say he was no gentleman. I told him I wasn’t going to fight him here because I don’t want to set a bad example for my students, but I invited him to step outside the faire with me. Strangely, he declined.”

Turning to Bethany, he gently put the crown back on her head, not replacing the wig. “Never mind it. If you want another wig I’ll buy you one, but you don’t need it.”

She gave him a wobbly smile. “For now, I think I just want to sit here and watch our friends have a good time,” she said, sitting down and immediately holding out her arms to him in invitation. “Let me just snuggle up for a bit. I’ll be all right then.”

“That’s my girl.” He pulled her in close, and glanced at the others. Being away from the situation had calmed him some, but they could see in his face that he was still _very_ angry that it had happened. “Not going to let this ruin the day. Right?”

“Right,” she agreed. “And it’s been so wonderful otherwise, so all the more reason to put it right out of my mind.”

“That’s the spirit,” said Dorian. “And there’s plenty more to look forward to as well.”

“Here, Sunshine, have some pretzel.” Varric accepted the treat Josephine offered and broke it in half to share with her. “Looks like they’re starting to line up the competitors. Is Tiny wearing your favor, Sparkler?”

“I don’t have a favor, Varric,” he protested. However, he noticed Bethany chuckle faintly as she nibbled her half of the snack and immediately softened. “Although, if you must know, I gave him a little bauble I purchased - a sort of crystal necklace thing. I think it’s in his pocket, since Maker knows it won’t fit around his neck.”

“Close enough.” Varric grinned. “Did Chuckles decide to enter? I don’t see him.”

“I’m not certain. Perhaps he’s off doing his ‘Dread Wolf’ routine. Being stealthy, or whatever it is he does,” said Dorian, waving his hand.

They all chuckled. “Oh, look, it’s starting!” said Josie, pointing excitedly. “It’s... is it just a grand melee? That’s what it looks like.”

“Looks like it,” said Leliana.

“I’m a bit rusty on my Exalted Age terminology. What exactly is a grand melee again?” asked Bethany.

“Everybody hits everybody else with weapons and the last person standing wins,” Varric translated.

“Well... that sounds... I want to say ‘fun’, but the only word that comes to mind is ‘ouch,’” she chuckled.

“It looks like they’ve all been armed with rubber swords,” Evvy noted, laughing. “I think they’ll be okay.”

“That’s a relief.” She smiled. “Oh! There’s my sister!” She pointed to where Hawke stood.

“She and Fenris will probably go back to back,” Varric noted. “They did that a lot during our hellraising days. There’s Curly, Siren.”

“I see him. That fluffy thing around his neck is hard to miss,” she said with another laugh.

“Now here’s a question,” said Josephine. “What happens if this comes down to some combination of Skyhold people only? I can’t imagine they’ll want to hit each other.”

“Well, some of them might.” Dorian chuckled.

“They’ll call it a draw like polite colleagues do and share the spoils of victory. At least, I _think_ they will,” Evvy amended.

“I suppose we’ll find out,” Josie replied, holding up her phone to take some video. “And the students look like they’re having fun.” The students seemed to have divided into friendly groups to cheer on certain teachers.

“That’s the most important part,” Leliana noted. “And... there they go!” The activity in the ring exploded in a flurry of rubber swords and disorganized chaos.

Varric started laughing. “I think I’m glad I decided to limit my awesomeness to the crossbow,” he said, standing in order to see better. “Come on, Hawke!”

Hawke and Fenris had indeed gone back to back, both of them grinning. “Look at them work,” said Bethany with a fond chuckle, shaking her head. “Go, sis! Go Fenris!”

“Take a look at Cullen’s big sister.” Leliana laughed, nodding to where someone who had previously been advancing on Cullen had been knocked down by Cassandra while the history professor’s back was turned.

“Thank you, Cass!” Evvy yelled, laughing. “My word, the Skyhold crew is really holding up well - ooh, no, down goes the first one eliminated. I’m sure that wasn’t fun, even if it was just a rubber sword.” She paused. “Oh look, there’s Solas - I had no idea he could move that quickly.”

“Neither did I,” Josephine said, snickering. “Although with all the video games he plays, I’m sure this is a dream come true.”

“Hmm. Maybe the wolf pelt makes him more aerodynamic,” Dorian snarked.

A moment later they were all cringing as the first of their group was eliminated. Fenris, being Fenris, had taken a blow meant for his wife, and dropped to his knees as a result. “Ouch. Well, score one for chivalry,” Varric offered.

“Ooh, poor Fenris,” said Bethany, wincing. “And now I have a feeling Marian might be after vengeance - she’s got that _look_ on her face.”

“Yep. I know the one,” said Varric, nodding. “You don’t see it often, but if someone hurts her husband or her baby sister, there it is. He’s not even really hurt, it’s just the principle of the thing.”

“Oh, quite,” Bethany agreed. “She’s not a fan of seeing me or Fenris even slightly put out, so she’s naturally not too pleased he was - oh, yes, okay, she got her revenge. That poor soul didn’t have a chance.” She chuckled slightly. “And back into the fray she goes.”

“We have similar protective impulses,” Varric noted. “It happens when you’ve lost a lot. You want to keep what you still have. My money’s still on her, although I agree with Siren - Chuckles is making a better showing than I expected.”

Solas had a strange sort of rhythm to his swings and a fluidity to his movements. “The man should have been a dancer,” said Leliana as she laughed. “Maybe Fenris can give him a few pointers.”

“At this rate he might outlast even Bull and Blackwall!” Bethany added.

“Oh, Cullen!” Evvy cringed, seeing him somewhat ambushed. “Oh, well. At least he can say it took three people to bring him down. Poor darling.”

“Mother!” Cole was not far from where they were seated, and he immediately started pushing his way to her. “Mother, is Father all right?”

“It’s okay, dear. It’s all just pretend.”

“And don't worry,” added Dorian. “Auntie Cassandra will avenge him, I'm sure.”

“Do you want to sit here with us, Cole?” Bethany put in with a smile. “Or are you with friends?”

He turned, searching. “Here they come,” he said. “They like to be where you are. It makes it easier to find their inspiration.”

Bethany chuckled warmly. “Yes, I'm not surprised by that.” She waved as the group approached. “Hello, you lot. Quite a game, isn't it?”

“I never saw anything quite so exciting,” Nessa said breathlessly. “I wish we could have entered - but I guess there are already way too many people in there.”

“You guys can enter when we graduate,” said Rory. “Notice how I said ‘you guys’, not at all meaning me? Mostly because I would probably get hit in the face about five seconds into it. Or I’d end up hitting _myself_ in the face about five seconds into it. Either way. But it’s sure fun to watch!”

“Someone can wear your favor and enter on your behalf,” Jim suggested innocently.

“Oh, yes, hilarious bestie is hilarious,” she said, giving him a glare. “Wise guy.”

“Hey, I’d do it,” Krem offered. He was clearly trying to look calm and collected, like it was no big deal. “You know. If no one else volunteered.”

“Really?” Her eyes were wide and her tone completely breathless. “I mean, uh... that’d be... really nice. Yeah. Thanks.” She began playing with a strand of her hair in an effort to distract herself and not to turn _too_ red.

“All right, it’s a promise then. You’re all my witnesses. We come back next year, I’m wearing Rory’s favor unless she wants to give it to someone else.” Krem gave a nod and turned his attention back to the melee. He almost managed to look totally cool, except for the pink tinge of his ears. Varric glanced at Dorian and smirked.

Dorian returned the smirk, covering his mouth with his hand to hide it, shaking his head affectionately. Rory, for her part, looked like she might actually faint, and Jim and Nessa eased her down as clandestinely as they could. “Deep breaths,” Jim said, grinning and patting her head. “Deep cleansing breaths. In with the good air... atta girl.”

“You kids are so sweet,” Evvy said mildly, smiling.

“Aww, thanks, we try,” Nessa replied with a laugh, resting her head on Rory’s shoulder. “Doing okay, Rors?”

“Yeah, yeah, fine, yeah. He was probably just being nice, right? Right?” she whispered.

“Watch the melee now, freak out later,” Jim suggested.

Meanwhile, Cullen had joined Fenris on the raised platform, along with others who had been eliminated from the competition. After another few moments, Blackwall reluctantly joined them as well. “Hawke, Bull, Cass, Mahanon, and Solas,” Josie counted. “Well, Skyhold is certainly making a good showing.”

“Most definitely,” said Bethany. “Maker, how do they still have the stamina? I'm tired just watching them.”

“The heat’s not getting to you, is it?” Varric asked. “Maybe we should have gotten you a parasol.”

“Sweetheart, I'm fine, really.” She smiled and wrapped her arms around him. “I'm having a wonderful time, feeling good, and very happy to be here. Don't worry.”

“But I do it so well,” he teased. “All right. I know when I’m beaten. Yikes, speaking of beaten, Tiny just took down another one!”

“ _Kaffas_ , I'm not sure if I should be proud or concerned.” Dorian chuckled. “He seems rather in his element, doesn't he?”

“A little of column A, a little of column B,” Varric advised. “Remind me what he used to do before he became a coach?”

“You’re familiar with James Bond, yes? That’s basically it,” said Dorian, looking just faintly smug about this fact.

Varric furrowed his brow comically. “Wait a minute. Are you serious right now?”

“Yes, he was a spy. An actual spy. He’ll tell you himself if you ask him - he’s remarkably transparent about it, actually.”

“Huh. That’s kinda cool.”

“Oh! Hawke!” Josie blurted. “Hawke’s down!”

“...well, shit. She all right?”

Bethany was on her feet. “Yeah,” she said after a moment of deliberation. “Yeah, she looks okay. Slightly irritated, if the look on her face is anything to go by, but okay.”

“So that leaves Solas, Cass, Non, and Bull,” Evvy mused, “plus a handful of people we don’t know. Oh, this is so difficult to watch.”

“I know, I never imagined watching people smack each other with rubber swords would be this nerve-wracking,” said Bethany. “It really is getting down to the wire now, isn’t it?”

“It’d be nice if one of our people took the victory,” Leliana noted. “Though Varric already earned us one medal, I think it would mean a lot to our students.”

“I actually had to have it explained to me twice, because it didn’t make much sense the first time,” Varric admitted with a laugh. “Apparently I earned more of these goofy things than anybody else today, as far as the crossbow attendant knew. There’s a chance I didn’t, to be honest, but it was fun anyway.”

“After that performance? I’d find it very difficult to imagine anyone did better than you,” Bethany remarked, placing her head on his shoulder. “But I agree - the more medals Skyhold can bring home, the better.”

“Oh, the songs they could compose,” Dorian added. “In some cases, perhaps literally.”

Varric chuckled, wrapping an arm around Bethany. “I expect some damn good essays when we get back to Skyhold, that’s for sure.”

“Oh, indeed,” she agreed, turning her attention back to the melee. “Hmm. It looks almost like Bull and Solas might be tag-teaming some of the remaining non-Skyhold people. I wonder what they’re up to...”

“Bull and Solas,” Josie repeated. “ _That_ is a formidable combination. But then Cass and Mahanon are also teamed up.”

“Look at them, they’re naturals,” Leliana commented, pointing to where Cass and Non were working in tandem. “It looks like they’ve been fighting together their whole lives.”

“Ooh, and another one bites the dust,” Dorian added as the duo deftly dispatched another opponent. “Remind me that I never want to be on their bad side.”

“It looks like a very real possibility that it could indeed come down to just our people,” Leliana pointed out. “I imagine they’ll either all call a draw, or will willingly surrender to one person.”

“Hmm... if they take the latter, I wonder who the designated winner would be,” mused Josie.

“Given the staff track record when it comes to chivalry, my guess would be Cassandra,” Varric allowed. “If nothing else, I’m pretty sure Lockpick will surrender to her.”

“I shall refrain from saying what I’m thinking,” said Dorian with a smirk, “since our students are close at hand.”

“So am I,” said Evvy, laughing. “There are some mental pictures I try very hard to avoid, you know. Pretty sure what you’re thinking falls into that category.”

“Without a doubt.” His smirk widened as he turned back to continue watching. “You know, I’m still confused as to how _Solas_ of all people is proving himself to be such a sword-slinger... Solas Harel, the science teacher by day, YouTube Let’s Player by night who conducts half his classes barefoot. It’s beyond comprehension, frankly.”

“Maybe he’s going to use the prize winnings to go to Payless,” Varric deadpanned.

Dorian let out a little bark of laughter. “Quite. Although I shudder to think what he’d choose if the rest of his wardrobe is anything to go by.”

“How about we all get him shoes for Wintersend?” Leliana’s eyes gleamed. “I love shoe shopping. Even if it’s not for me.”

“That's hilarious,” Bethany said with a laugh. “Count me in.”

“I'm sure he _has_ shoes. We can just get him better ones,” Josie added, chuckling.

“Honestly, I’m not sure if he does. Maybe he goes barefoot on purpose,” Varric mused. “Some kind of bond with the earth type of thing or something. Who knows.”

“That could explain so much, honestly,” said Dorian. “Either that or he's _trying_ to go for the ‘science teacher hobo’ look.”

“Well, he’s wearing shoes now, and they’re not hurting anything.” There was something, Evvy noted, oddly ferocious about Solas’s fighting style - almost primal. “He _does_ realize this is just for fun, right?” she asked with a little laugh.

“I’m starting to wonder.” Dorian chuckled slightly. “Here’s a question - do we actually _know_ what Solas did before he came to Skyhold?”

“I remember he showed up almost immediately after we put out the call for teachers,” said Josephine. “Things were still so chaotic in those early days, we barely had time to think, and suddenly there he was. Like he appeared or something.”

“It’s difficult to find anyone with a knowledge of the various sciences as varied as his,” Leliana added. “We expected to have to hire multiple science teachers, but his grasp of the many branches is unsurpassed. He doesn’t actually have a teaching degree, to be perfectly honest, but he’s been given an honorary doctorate by the University of Orlais for his various research papers.”

“Hmm. Solas Harel, international man of mystery,” said Dorian. “But not of shoes.”

“Are you ever going to let that go?” Bethany chortled.

“No, probably not.”

“He never lets anything go,” Varric replied. “It’s part of his charm.”

“Ah, at least he finally admits to my charm. I have quite a bit, after all.” Dorian grinned. “Ooh, Bull just took down another one. Good for you, _amatus_.”

“How many does that leave now?” said Josie.

“Looks like three, plus the remaining Skyhold four.” Evvy shielded her eyes. “This is going to get intense.”

“Those three should just give up now if they know what’s good for them,” Dorian commented. “Even if they tried to form up and go against our four, it would be a suicide run at best.”

The Skyhold staff who had been eliminated seemed to be thinking much that same thing. It was easy to spot their little cluster on the platform, as they had all gotten to their feet to cheer their colleagues on.

To everyone’s great surprise, Dorian’s prediction turned out to be accurate. The three remaining competitors joined together to try to take down the Skyhold forces, and it was a quick matter for the quartet to put an end to the whole thing. The four then looked at one another, uncertain how to proceed.

As everyone watched, Mahanon laughed and gestured for the others to lean in for a conference. They listened, then laughed as well. “Oh, what is my darling pain in the rear end doing now?” Evvy wondered, chuckling.

The four Skyhold representatives drew back and arranged themselves in a dramatic semicircle, the rubber blades of their swords crisscrossing artfully. “One for all!” Mahanon yelled.

“And all for one!” the others replied, barely keeping straight faces as they did.

There was an explosion of laughter as the audience applauded. The students were, predictably, squealing and cheering. “Best. School. Ever!” was the call. “Skyhold, Skyhold!”

“That is the least surprising response I’ve ever heard,” Varric observed, chuckling. “Well, we teachers kind of are like the Musketeers, aren’t we? Especially after last year.”

“We are rather,” Dorian remarked.

“I’m sensing a future cosplay theme.” Bethany said playfully.

“What do you think, Sparkler? Big hats with curled feathers?” Varric grinned. “I think we could pull it off.”

“Well, I know I most certainly can - I’ve got the look,” Dorian replied, stroking his mustache as if to emphasize that fact. “But I think the rest of you could probably do it justice too. And we can even get a hat for Cole as well. The boy loves his hats.”

“That he does,” Evvy remarked fondly. “And now, if you’ll all excuse me... my husband seems to have acquired a fan club and I suspect he needs rescuing.” She paused, and chuckled. “Cole? Darling, go over to Father and tell him I’ll be there in a moment, would you please?” To the others, she added, “That should disperse them.”

Cole nodded and dashed off to his father. “Well done,” said Leliana a minute later as they watched Cullen turn his attention to Cole. “He looks more at ease already. The students swooning over him is one thing, and I suspect he can handle admirers in small doses, but when people congregate like that, it’s definitely not his favorite thing in the world.”

* * *

Cole was more than happy to push through the crowd. “Father!” he called. Cullen was at the center of what looked to be roughly nine women and at least three men, and he was distinctly uncomfortable. _They press too close, fragrant, feeling, grasping. He feels choked by their presence. Mother lets him breathe._ “Father!”

The relief in Cullen’s eyes was obvious as he all but spun to face Cole. “Cole! Excuse me,” he added hastily to the little mob. “My son is calling me. I beg your pardon.” He extricated himself as best he could to make his way over.

There were a number of disappointed whines. “Oh, but we wanted to get to know you better!”

He did his best to not visibly cringe. “That’s...” He struggled for a lie. “...kind of you to say. But I think I should collect my son and find my wife. Enjoy the rest of the faire.”

Cole reached his side then, deftly sliding between Cullen and the most forward of his admirers. “Father - Mother says she’ll be here in a moment. She was so proud of you, you did so well.”

Cullen smiled his first genuine smile since the crowd had gathered, placing his hands on Cole’s shoulders. “I’m glad she thought so,” he replied. “Did you enjoying watching it too?”

“I was worried at first. I thought you had been hurt. But Mother explained it was all a show and you were only pretending, so then I did enjoy it.” Cole beamed at him. “Uncle Dorian and Varric called the teachers Musketeers and said they should all wear big hats, and I should have one too!”

Cullen chuckled. “Of course Uncle Dorian and Varric would suggest that. But yes, you should most definitely have one too - I think you’d probably enjoy it. Maybe we should have more opportunities to dress up in costumes in Skyhold. After all, everyone seems to be enjoying this.”

“They certainly are,” said Evvy, joining them and ignoring any looks of outright envy or loathing she might have been receiving. “You were splendid, love. All of you. It was such a thrill to watch!”

“Thank you, darling.” With his rescue party complete, he felt he could finally begin drifting from the crowd that had held him captive. “I’m glad you enjoyed. Quite the finale too.” He chuckled again.

She smiled, taking his arm. “It certainly was that. Oh - where’s Hawke, dear? I feel like I should warn her about something.”

“Oh? Is a nefarious plan being hatched? Did we miss something?”

Evvy shook her head. “It’s nothing so enjoyable, unfortunately. While you were all getting ready to compete, Bethany encountered an unpleasant sort. Varric handled it, but the wig was damaged in the process.”

“Oh, no, that’s terrible - Marian’s going to be livid. Is Bethany all right?” He glanced up towards where the little group who hadn’t participated was waiting.

“She wasn’t hurt, but she was pretty badly shaken. Varric almost introduced the individual to his fist.” In spite of herself, Evvy gave a small chuckle. “I think she’s all right. A bunch of bystanders vouched for Varric, and the other man was thrown out of the faire. Poor girl, all she wanted was a pretzel.”

“The man who did it is lucky he’s already been ejected, otherwise I think Marian and Fenris would have something to say to him,” Cullen replied, shaking his head. “I’m glad she’s all right.”

“That was really the only comment Varric would make about it - that he was lucky they weren’t around or there wouldn’t have been anything left of him to eject. Well, he said that and that she doesn’t need a wig,” she amended, “but he’ll get her another one if she wants it.”

“I’m not surprised by that at all.” He chuckled, then glanced behind him. “Oh, and by the way, thank you for the rescue.”

“I am a selfish and possessive creature,” she teased. “But you’re welcome all the same.”

“You are nothing of the sort,” he said with a smile. “You are marvelous and you know just when I need help. Which is frequently, so I'm lucky to have you.” He kissed her cheek.

“I’m always here when you need me, love.” They rejoined the slowly growing collective of Skyhold teachers. Hawke had reached her sister already and was listening with visible anger as Varric explained what had happened earlier. “Oh. Guess I’m too late.”

“He won’t be bothering her any more, Hawke, that’s the important part,” Varric was saying.

“And I'm all right, I promise,” Bethany added. “Water under the bridge, really.”

Big sister seethed for a moment. “He didn’t hurt you?”

“No, no, he didn't hurt me. I'm okay.” She gave her sister a little smile as if to prove this fact. “Varric swooped in almost instantly. Everything’s fine.”

“All right,” Hawke relented. “Come on, I guess we’d better get to the endgame stage. Hey, Leliana, do you have anybody filming all this?”

“One of our new students - Seamus - expressed an interest in learning cinematography when he gets to university. So I put him in charge,” the headmistress replied. “He’s one of our Starkhaven boys, your friend Prince Sebastian actually sponsored him to come to the school.”

“Oh, Seb sponsored him? How wonderful,” Bethany said brightly. “We'll have to make sure Seb gets a copy of that video - I'm sure he'd love to see all our shenanigans.” She chuckled.

“Especially the way the melee worked out,” Evvy noted. “That was ridiculously dramatic, I loved it. Let’s go watch the awarding of prizes!”

“I'm actually very excited to see this,” said Cullen, taking his wife's hand. “I'm curious how exactly the Skyhold Final Four will be awarded their prizes.”

“Maybe they have some spare medals,” Varric joked. “If not, you’ll all just have to share. I’d offer you mine but it’s been pledged to a certain glorious lady already.”

“Quite understandable,” said Cass with a grin. “If they only have one, we'll just have to pass it amongst ourselves - we can work out a schedule for whose office it can hang in when.”

“Or we could mount it over the gates,” Leliana joked. “Let it serve to bring victory and triumph to all who come to Skyhold.”

“Well said,” Dorian put in. “What we need, I think, is a trophy case. Right in the main hall. That way all those who visit Skyhold can behold the talent with which we all - students and teachers alike - are inherently blessed.”

“That,” rumbled Blackwall, who had joined them as they walked, “is an excellent idea. I could build one in the shop, get some of the older students to help me. Then we’ll just need some more awards to fill it.”

“That's brilliant!” said Josephine in delight. “And I'm sure we can have a case like that full up in no time.”

“I’ll take some measurements of the space when we get back to school,” he promised. “I should be able to find a wood that complements the existing structures.”

“Perfect.” She smiled. “Make me a list of what you need and I'll make sure you have it. I am sure the students will be delighted.”

* * *

The crowd all filed into the seating for the endgame theater, where the actors playing King Calenhad, Lady Shayna, and other figures from the Silver Knight’s time were already collecting on the stage. “My word, he’s handsome,” Evvy murmured to Dorian. “I wonder how much he looks like the real Calenhad.”

Dorian nodded. “I certainly hope all those Exalted Age maidens knew how to clandestinely eat the eye candy, if this is anything to go by,” he remarked. “How amusing to think he’s the ancestor of the president and Skyhold founder himself.”

“I wonder if he was as endearingly goofy as his descendant,” Evvy said with a chuckle. “And if he had the same obsession with cheese.”

“Perhaps some historian recorded it in a book somewhere. And if they did, I’m sure your husband has probably read said book,” Dorian teased fondly.

“I can’t argue with that. I’ll ask him later.”

As the crowd pressed in, King Calenhad raised his arms for silence. “If I could have the four victors of the melee join me onstage,” he said, “along with everyone who is contending for the daily medal of valor?”

“Here I go,” Varric muttered, following Cassandra to the stage. The crowd applauded politely as everyone involved ascended the stairs.

Cass heard his comment and gave his shoulder a slight pat as they made their way up. “Don’t worry,” she assured him. “Even if you didn’t actually win, you’re still her knight in shining armor. But I think you probably did win after that performance.”

“I’m not worried exactly. A little nervous maybe, that’s all.”

“I understand. Hitting everyone with a rubber sword was the easy part - standing in front of a crowd, a bit less so. We’ll be fine. If we can sing for our students, we can accept some awards, I’m sure.”

“Heh. About that,” he muttered, chuckling quietly.

“First, if I may see the contenders for the medal of valor,” said the king, gesturing for Varric and a handful of others to step forward. “For those unfamiliar with our custom, by competing in the games in Mither’s Village, visitors to our faire can earn bracelets like these.” He held one up. “The better they perform, the greater their chances of earning the medal of valor - whosoever has earned the most bracelets this day will emerge the victor!” He turned to the first competitor. “How many bracelets have you, my lord?”

It took the man a few moments to remember that “my lord” was referring to him. “Oh! Seven.” He held up the fist that clutched the bracelets in question.

“Has anyone more than seven bracelets in their possession?” asked the king. Two of the other contenders shook their heads, taking a step back; the other two, as well as Varric, remained in position. “And you, my lady? How many have you?”

“Nine, Your Majesty.”

“Nine! Nine is now the number to beat! Can anyone exceed nine?”

The other woman in contention also shook her head. From her place on the other side of the stage, Cass glanced at Varric then out into the crowd where Bethany was. She was wearing a grin and bouncing her fingers together slightly in anxious excitement as she also glanced in Varric’s direction.

Varric’s expression suggested he felt a little out of his element, for some reason, but he too caught sight of Bethany’s delight and it softened him. He held up a fistful of bracelets. “Fourteen.”

A small smattering of cheers broke out from the crowd - mostly from the Skyhold student body, but Bethany likewise gave a little shout of joy. The runners-up were good sports about it and also clapped for Varric’s achievement.

Varric was actually a little startled to find that he’d won, and his eyebrows almost shot off of his face, he raised them so quickly. The king took the bronze medal from a page. “I see that you wore a favor in battle,” he said. “It therefore falls to the one who gave it to you to bestow the medal upon you.”

There were a few squeals from the students at that. Bethany, for her part, looked slightly embarrassed to have so many eyes on her, but smiled widely as she carefully made her way to the stage. “With pleasure,” she said warmly once she had arrived, her eyes twinkling.

“Ah. Princess,” said the king, looking very amused, “if you will be so good, reward your valiant champion for his victory.” He placed the medal in her hands, while Varric got down on one knee.

She nodded and gently slipped the medal over Varric’s head. “There,” she said, touching where it rested against his chest. “My noble prince.”

Varric lifted his eyes to her face, and a smirk curled his lips. “I fight and die for your honor,” he teased her, “glorious one.”

She giggled and kissed his cheek. “Well, aren’t I just the luckiest girl in Thedas, then?” she said, her smile somehow finding the room to widen even more.

Deciding to play it for all it was worth, he took her hand and kissed it, then got to his feet. “Thank you, Your Majesty,” he added, flourishing a bow at King Calenhad.

“That was one of the most adorable things I’ve ever seen,” Evvy muttered, mostly for Josie and Dorian’s ears.

Josie had a hand pressed over her mouth, probably in an effort to not squeal like the students. “Absolutely, completely sweet,” she agreed.

“So much so I think I’m getting cavities,” Dorian added, but smiled nevertheless.

The medal was gleaming on Varric’s chest as he guided Bethany down the stairs; meanwhile, the four melee co-champions were waiting to hear how the king would pronounce victory for them. “I will admit,” said Calenhad, “today was a first. A four-way tie is unheard of in our tournament of arms! But when I heard that the four who refused to fight each other included some of the instructors from the legendary _Skyhold_ , it made a lot more sense.” He chuckled.

Several of the kids cheered again, as did some of the other teachers, laughing slightly as they did so. Cass glanced over at Bull and Solas, grinning broadly and shaking her head.

“Fortunately,” the king continued, “we keep a supply of extra medals on hand for this sort of situation. My greatest general, Lady Shayna, will now bestow one on each of you.”

As the actress playing Lady Shayna moved up the little line with the medals, the students had once again begun their chant of “Skyhold! Skyhold!” looking as overjoyed as if they had won the medals themselves. From his place in the crowd, Cullen smiled, watching as Cass was given her medal. “Oh, wonderful. I’m glad they all got to get a little something after all,” he commented to Evvy.

“I guess we won’t need that trophy case quite so immediately, but it’s still a good idea,” she noted. “I’m so proud of everyone, this has been an amazing day.”

“It truly has been,” he agreed. “I hope it’s been a good present from everyone. I know they really wanted to show how much you mean to them.”

“I honestly sort of forgot that was the point of the trip,” she admitted. “It means a lot to me that everyone would do such a thing, but I’m really glad they all had such a good time in their own right.”

“Me too.” He wrapped his arms around her shoulders as they watched the stage. “And there are, of course, more surprises waiting, but you didn’t hear that from me.”

“Hm. I know a little something about that.” She smirked, snuggling into his embrace.

“You do? We need to work on our mysteriousness, then, don’t we?” He chuckled.

“Maybe. Or maybe I know something you don’t know.”

“Oh, is that so? Mm, color me intrigued then,” he returned, kissing the top of her head. “Well, whatever you know that I don’t know, I’m excited to eventually be made privy to it.”

“It’s a good surprise, I promise.” She smiled up at him.

“Of that I have no doubt.” He smiled back at her. “I’m sure it will be an excellent consolation prize too - I didn’t want to say anything earlier, since Cole already seemed worried about me fighting in the melee, but getting hit with a rubber sword _hurts_.” He chuckled.

“My poor brave soldier,” she said gently. “I’ll take care of you.”

The look he gave her was soft and full of tenderness. “And I’m constantly grateful for that fact, my darling,” he assured her. “You know I’d do the same for you.”

“I don’t doubt it for a moment,” she replied.

“Let’s hear it for the heroes of the realm!” called King Calenhad, dismissing the four winners from the stage to thunderous applause. “And now we begin our songs!”

Cullen freed Evvy from the embrace for a moment in order to join in the applause. Then he smirked just slightly. “Ah, the songs - the thing in which Skyhold will excel beyond all others. Well, one of the things, as I think that ceremony just proved.”

After four or five traditional faire songs, the king held up his hands for silence. “As I’ve already had occasion to mention, we have been honored this day by a visit from the instructors and scholars of the renowned Skyhold Academy,” he said. “And it’s well understood that they who teach are at least as talented as their students.” There was a ripple of laughter. “I have been asked, and have given my royal permission. The men of Skyhold wish to come onstage and serenade you all - shall we let them?”

There was an insane cheer of approval (the students were squealing again, for easily the third time in about half an hour). “Showtime,” remarked Dorian, holding up his hand and gesturing for the male teachers and guests to assemble.

Cullen turned to Evvy with a smile and kissed her hand. “I shall return,” he said cheerfully.

“Have fun, darling.” She watched him fondly as he made his way up to the stage with the other men. “They still think we don’t know?” she asked Josie.

Josie giggled. “It seems so,” she said with a grin. “Although I must say, even though we do know what they have planned, I’m still terribly excited for it.”

“Oh, no question. We can never get enough of our resident boy band.” Evvy laughed, watching Blackwall pick up a traditional Fereldan drum. The other men had started to hum, while he began tapping out a deep rhythm for them to follow.

A few people recognized the song already, chiefly Rory, who grasped both Jim and Nessa’s shoulders. “Sweet mother of Andraste, this is glorious,” she breathed. “Also... oh my goodness, Krem is with them again. Leave me here to die.” Her partners in crime merely giggled.

After the requisite bars of humming accompanied by the drum beat, it was Cullen who stepped forward. He looked a bit shy in front of this large a crowd, but nevertheless smiled, particularly as the students cheered. “ _When the storm is raging and thunder rolls, deliver us from the ocean, save our souls.”_

All the men joined together for the refrain, which was in the much older form of the common tongue rarely heard anymore. As the others moved around on the stage to give them room, Dorian and Varric moved to the forefront to sing the next verse. “ _When the winds are howling, vigil keep; shelter us and save us from the deep._ ” This again was followed by the refrain, but what happened next took everyone by surprise.

After the men had shuffled one more time, Bull took the helm of the song - belting out the final verse in a deep, thrilling, downright operatic voice. “ _Now the Maker has brought us safe to the shore. Be our strength and protection evermore!_ ” Those from Skyhold not on the stage were almost in too great a shock to cheer.

In the crowd, Leliana and Josephine had turned to face each other and were chuckling in surprise. “Well!” said Leliana. “I never would have guessed he had that in him. I’m impressed.”

“I guess part of his multiple choice background must include vocal training,” Evvy commented. “Wow. That was - wow!”

Krem took a turn for a very short solo in the old common, and she wasn’t completely sure, but Evvy thought his eyes might have sought out Rory while he did. _Or maybe I’m just a romantic_ , she mused, chuckling.

Either way, Rory swooned masterfully, looking for all the world like she was in Heaven. And she wasn't alone in that look - there was a great deal of cheering, as their usually was whenever the teachers sang. For his part, the new boy Seamus just looked slightly confused. “Erm. Excuse me,” he said quietly, leaning away from the camera and towards the direction of the partners in crime, whom he was stationed near. “Does this type of thing happen often?” He gestured to the stage and the delighted students.

“Oh, yeah,” said Nessa with a chuckle.

“Welcome to Skyhold,” Jim added, “where everything’s made up and the grades don’t matter. No, I’m kidding, they do matter - but there’s a lot that goes on that doesn’t seem like it can possibly be real.”

“You can say that again,” Rory muttered.

Up on stage, the men were smiling broadly at the reaction to their performance. They joined each other to sing the last verse together, raising their fists as the crowd cheered.

As that cheering died down and the men made their exit, King Calenhad stepped forward once more. “That was resplendent,” he declared. “But the surprises from Skyhold aren’t over! I’m told that the other half of the teaching staff refuses to be outdone, and would like to sing for all of you as well. Shall we allow so much beauty to grace the stage?”

The kids were, predictably, ecstatic that the ladies of Skyhold were likewise going to perform. Leliana chuckled at their delight. “Shall we go show the boys how it's done?” she said, her voice fondly teasing.

“I’ll be a bit quiet, if no one minds,” Evvy replied in a low voice. “I don’t feel like I know the song very well.”

“It’ll be fine,” Hawke assured her. “Don’t worry.”

“Yes, that's why we have our resident Nightingale,” said Josephine with a smile.

The ladies all made their way to the stage next, with Leliana in front to begin the first verse. Their song likewise began in the old version of the common tongue, all the ladies singing softly until Leliana came in. It was easy to forget Headmistress Nightingale was a trained singer, until one saw her in action. Then it always became abundantly clear how much she enjoyed being in front of a crowd.

The men of Skyhold were watching with mingled amusement, affection, and - in certain cases - pride. “They do all right, don’t they?” asked Varric, chuckling.

“They most certainly do,” Cullen replied, watching with a soft smile. “We're all very lucky to have them.”

“ _You will be my gallant star..._ ” Evvy caught Cullen’s eye and winked. She was comfortable enough with the refrain, but she left the verses to the others. This whole day had a slightly surreal quality; then again, most days in Skyhold did.

“I have an idea,” Bull rumbled. “You guys all know this song? Let’s sneak up on stage for the final refrain and sing it with them.”

“That's a wonderful idea.” Dorian chuckled. “We can surprise them _and_ the students. That's a brilliant two-for-one deal.”

“Real quiet, then, let’s start heading up there.”

The ladies’ attention was firmly on the audience and each other, allowing the men to silently get into position. Just before the final verse started, they stepped out, singing along with the women and grinning broadly. The students were on their feet at once, crowing in excitement.

They had a little difficulty controlling their laughter, but the women - linking arms or putting arms around their colleagues and friends - managed to finish the song. The faire’s cast members were sort of chuckling among themselves as they applauded. “My only question,” said King Calenhad, “is how we’re supposed to follow that!”

“I think, sire,” said Lady Shayna, “the most natural choice would be with the final song.” The teachers filed off the stage, leaving the actual cast to lead everyone in the song which always concluded a day at the faire.

“ _So here’s a health to the company, and one to my lass. Let us drink and be merry all out of one glass. Let us drink and be merry, all cares to refrain... for we may and might never all be here again._ ”

Cullen resumed the position he had been in before the men’s performance - standing with his arms around his wife's shoulders. “Well, I certainly hope we'll all be here again,” he said, leaning forward to smile at her.

“Me too,” she replied warmly, swaying a little with the music. “I’m curious to see what the second year holds for us, since the first was so extraordinary.”

“In one year I got more than I ever dreamed was possible,” he said. “I can't even imagine what else the Maker may have in store for us. But I can't wait to find out.”

“You and me, both, my love,” she assured him.


	4. Accidentally in Matrimony

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jim and Rory's summer assignment turns out to be a Cullevelyan fanfic - which Varric reads aloud in the staff room, of course.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this "chapter" is both a fanfiction within a fanfiction AND the reaction all the teachers have to reading it. Writing Jim and Rory's fanfic is a ton of fun - since the entire point of it is that it's a little bit off the wall, we get to do things we never would have done in the main story. Such as the circumstances that happen here. I hope you enjoy Jim and Rory's silliness. ;)

 

* * *

**Accidentally In Matrimony**

* * *

With faires concluded and guests returned home, Skyhold settled into the rhythm that was the beginning of a new year.

“Well, let’s see what we have here,” Varric said to himself, sitting down with a fresh cup of coffee and a stack of summer writing assignments. “Hm. Rory and Jim tag-teamed me, eh? This should be interesting.” He set down his cup and started to read. It turned out to be none other than an alternate universe fanfiction about Skyhold’s resident fairy tale. 

 

 

> All right, Krem _,_ _the assistant coach said to himself._ You can do this. She’s a sweet lady and Professor P says she’ll be happy to help you do this _. Slowly, carefully, he approached where Evvy stood and cleared his throat, striking a gentlemanly pose. “So… Miss T… may I take you to dinner on Friday?”_
> 
> _Evvy smiled at the request - she’d be more shocked if she hadn’t known this was coming. “Why, thank you, Mr. Aclassi. That’s a lovely offer and I’d be glad to go with you.”_
> 
> _“Great. Uh. Six?” Krem offered with a shy smile._
> 
> _“Six sounds perfect. Thank you.”_
> 
> _Meanwhile, one Cullen Rutherford was very innocently walking the hallways, flipping through a stack of ungraded tests when he came across Evvy and Krem. “Oh, hello. H-how are you both?”_
> 
> _“Oh, hi, Professor. Great. Just great.” Krem replied, his grin both shy and pleased. “So, uh, I’ll… just be going then. But we’re on for Friday?”_
> 
> _“We are. I’ll see you in the main entrance at six.” Evvy said, returning his smile._
> 
> _“Is there a… football game I’ve forgotten about or something?” Cullen cut in. He may have had a bit of a reputation for being the school’s resident introvert, but he most certainly was not stupid; he knew perfectly well just how “we’re on for Friday” sounded and the very thought made his palms sweat a bit. But for the sake of his sanity, he tried to play dumb._

 

Varric laughed to himself. “Oh, Curly, even the kids know what an awkward turtle you are. Thank whatever’s holy that you’re married now.”

  

> _“Oh no. Krem just very kindly invited me to dinner.” Evvy replied, watching with an air of amusement as Krem departed with that pleased look on his face. “Dorian tipped me off that he was going to ask, so it wasn’t a complete shock. Hopefully this goes well.”_
> 
> _And at that, Cullen felt the first notes of panic begin. All right, perhaps more than the first few notes - perhaps more like the beginnings of a symphony. But he arranged his features into a smile, hoping it looked like a smile and not a grimace “Oh, that’s… nice. That’s really nice. I, uh, I hope that goes well too.”_
> 
> _“Thank you. He’s a sweet boy; I’m sure everything will be fine.” She smiled, noting Cullen seemed a bit calmer than she’d hoped. “You’ve got your hands full, there - do you need any help?”_
> 
> _“Oh, you’re very kind, but I’ll…” he paused mid-sentence, almost contemplatively and handed her some of the papers before he could think better of it. “Actually, yes, thank you. I was just heading to my office.”_
> 
> _“I think I know the way.” She chuckled._
> 
> _However, on the way to the office they came across Bull talking to Dorian, neither man apparently realizing they had an audience._
> 
> _“So,_ kadan _, my boy tells me your girl accepted his invitation! This means a lot to him.”_
> 
> _“Well, of course she accepted - do you think my Cinderella is anything other than the sweetest soul in Skyhold? I knew she would be happy to help him out.”_
> 
> _“It wasn’t easy for him. You know he doesn’t have too much experience with girls… this will bolster his confidence a lot. Thanks for suggesting it.”_
> 
> _“Certainly. He’s a good lad, I know he’ll treat her with the utmost respect, so I have nothing to worry about on that score.”_

 

Varric snorted to himself. “The characterization is certainly on point. They pay attention, that’s for sure.” 

 

> _Evvy blushed. “Um. Well. We should… quit eavesdropping…”_
> 
> _“Yes, you’re… probably right,” Cullen nodded in agreement. He was, however, actually a bit curious to hear where the conversation was going - Dorian not only knew about the date, but suggested it?_ Why? What’s all this about? _“Maybe we should leave and come back.”_
> 
> _“Sure. Of course.”_ Should I tell him? _She wondered._ Dorian didn’t want him to know the real reason, but… he doesn’t seem to be rising to the bait…
> 
> _They retreated a bit so as to be out of earshot, Cullen still mulling everything over, gnawing his lip. “So, uh... Dorian suggested your date? That’s… something,” he said at last, internally chastising himself for the lack of smoothness._
> 
> _“Yes. He… thought…”_ Oh, forget it _,_ _she said to herself,_ I may as well come clean _. “He thought it would be good practice for Krem. He’s got a crush on the girl who sings at the bookshop cafe, that Mary Halewell? But he’s too embarrassed to ask her out, so Dorian suggested he practice on me. Apparently I was his previous crush.”_
> 
> _“Oh. Oh!” Cullen said, the light of realization dawning in his eyes. It sounded like a practice date, praise the Maker. “So that’s what they were talking about - Bull and Dorian, I mean. Okay. Great. I mean, uh... it’s so nice of you to help him out like that.”_
> 
> _“What can I say, I’m a helper.” she said._ And it’s not like I had anything ELSE to do…
> 
> _“Well, Dorian’s right - you_ are _the sweetest soul in Skyhold,” he replied, and then blushed furiously. “I, uh… it should probably be safe to make our way to my office now, I think.”_
> 
> _“Thank you, that’s kind of you to say. Um. Lead the way.”_ Well, this didn’t work at all… I should have listened to Dorian and kept my mouth shut.
> 
> _Cullen led the way to his office, feeling a strange combination of emotions surging through him - there was relief, relief that he hasn’t completely lost his chance with her… and yet, at the same time, it was a lot easier to feel sorry for himself than to experience… whatever this was. But at the same time, Maker’s breath, the idea of her on a date with someone else certainly was an unpleasant thought. At last, they arrived at their destination._  
> 
> _“Would you, uh… would you like to sit for a while? I don’t need to grade these right now,” he said, setting the essays down._
> 
> _“Oh - well, if you’re sure… that would be nice,” replied Evvy as she found a chair._ At least if I’m in his office, he’s less likely to run away… I think… _“So… how are your siblings?”_
> 
> _Cullen sat behind his desk and smiled at her question. “Oh, oh they’re doing very well, thank you for asking. How about your family? How are things back in Ostwick?”_
> 
> _“Everyone’s doing well, thank you. I’m being begged to come back for Wintersend, I can’t decide if I want to go or not.”_
> 
> _“I’m sure they’d love to see you, but we would all definitely miss you here too.” He blushed a little at that and cleared his throat._
> 
> _“And it’s likely to be my only Wintersend here, so that’s why I’m thinking I’ll probably stay. Maybe I’ll nip home for a weekend or something before the new term starts.”_
> 
> _“Ah, I hate thinking about this year coming to an end…” he said, cringing. He especially hated talking about her leaving, a topic which always hurt him slightly. “But, yes, a weekend sounds like a great idea.”_
> 
> _“If nothing else, I can see my new nephew. But there’s still time to figure that out… will you go see your family over the break?”_
> 
> _“I’m not sure - I’ll need to make some phone calls, send some texts,” he replied. By and large, the statement was untrue - since there was a chance that this Wintersend would be Evvy’s one and only Wintersend at Skyhold, he knew there was a better than good chance a team of wild horses couldn’t drag him out of there. “But I’ll probably stay here. Besides, I don’t think anyone around here would know how to react if they looked into my office and didn’t see me sitting in here like I usually am,” he added with a weak chuckle._
> 
> _Evvy smiled. “You go home during the summer break, though, right?” She was honestly tempted to try to find a reason to run away from him, just so he knew how it felt, but it felt so pleasant and comfortable sitting there that she found she just couldn’t convince herself to do it._
> 
> _“That’s true, I do. But so does a lot of the staff, so my absence doesn’t have quite the same shock value. One day, I’ll do something to surprise them all, I swear. I’ll do something wild like… stay out until midnight,” he offered with a laugh._
> 
> _“What, you?? I’ll believe that when I see it!” she returned, also laughing._
> 
> _“You’re right, I’m not even sure I would know how to be out after dark, I’d probably need a chaperon,” he said teasingly, his features arranging themselves into a grin. “Know anyone who would volunteer for such a task?”_

 

“Andraste’s ass.” Varric started laughing again and grabbed his phone to text the other senior staff members, including Hawke. _Anybody want a dramatic reading of a story two of our kids wrote? Meet me in the staff room in ten. You won’t want to miss this._ He hit send and set off to share the goodies.

By the time he had arrived, a tidy little group had established themselves in their usual seats with cups of coffee and tea. It was Dorian who spoke first, smirking a little. “So what’s this story you’ve heralded so brilliantly?” he asked. “I’m all aquiver.”

“I present to you ‘Accidentally in Matrimony’. It’s an alternate universe fanfiction, it seems, where Krem’s assistant coach instead of a student and is part of a plot to get _certain people_ together. Basically, it’s a love saga featuring our favorite living fairy tale being even more awkward than they were in real life… which is saying something.” He smirked at the Rutherfords. “Sit back, relax, and try not to choke.” He began reading from the beginning.

“Oh, Maker’s breath,” Cullen chuckled, glancing at Evvy as Varric began reading. He continued to laugh to himself as the story went on until Varric reached the point where Cullen made the quip about staying out after dark. “It bears repeating - oh, Maker’s breath,” he spluttered.

Evvy patted his arm. “To be fair, if you’d ever actually asked me on a date, I could see it having gone exactly like this, dear.”

“Well, you’re… not wrong,” he laughed.

“Which two of our students wrote this, Varric?” Cassandra asked, looking completely delighted. “They’re very creative.”

“I can answer for it that one of them was Miss Norbertson,” Solas put in. He looked mildly amused. “I saw her working on it in study hall one day.”

“Yep. Her and her partner in crime Jim Scout. No surprise there, really, I think they run a secret Professor Rutherford Fan Club,” Varric replied.

“Oh, dear. I think I’m a bit fearful as to where this story is going to go,” Cullen said, his tone jocular, but his cheeks slightly pink.

“Well, let’s find out - I don’t actually know myself, this was as far as I got before I knew I had to share.” Varric cleared his throat and resumed reading.

 

> _“Interesting idea. I suppose you would need someone to verify that you didn’t just hide in a broom closet all night, maybe take pictures to prove you were out. I imagine I could do that…”_
> 
> _“Really?” His eyes went wide and his tone revealed his delighted surprise. He frantically hoped the statement didn’t sound creepily eager. “Would you really do that? I would… like that.”_
> 
> _“Well… sure, it could be fun,” she said._ This is the closest I am ever likely to get to you actually asking me on a date, I’d better run with it, _she added to herself._
> 
> _His statement had started off purely as a joke, but he found himself smiling at the idea, shocked that it wasn’t going horribly. “Well… wonderful. Great. I look forward to it. Uh, when do you think we should schedule it? And… what exactly should we do?”_
> 
> _“My schedule is fairly open - except for Friday, of course. What night works for you?”_
> 
> Literally. Any. Night _,_ _he thought._ Literally any night for the next two years, probably. _“Uh… What about Saturday? Maybe we can do dinner and… play it by ear?”_
> 
> _Evvy blinked._ That actually almost sounded like he was asking me on a date. Wow. Well done, my unicorn. _“Saturday sounds good. Um. What time? And where?”_

 

“Wait a minute!” Evvy protested. “How did they know about the unicorn bit?!”

Dorian seemed equally puzzled, and he tilted his head slightly in thought. Then a sudden dawn of recognition lit his eyes. “Oh… oh, I wonder… did she hear me talking about it in the library? Sneaky.”

“That would make sense. Sorry to interrupt, Varric, do continue.”

 

> _“Erm… 8 o’clock? We can meet in the main hall and maybe head downtown. I’ll let you pick most of the details since I… well, don’t get out much.”_
> 
> _“Oh. Well. All right. Uh. Should we keep it casual, or… more dressy? I wasn’t sure about your comfort zone for this, uh, surprise you want to spring on everyone.”_
> 
> _“Well, uh…” He pondered for a moment. “Oh, why not? As the saying goes - go big or go home. We’ll get dressed up, that will really surprise everyone. I think I have a formal necktie somewhere…”_
> 
> _“Sure, sounds fun,” she said, trying to not to dwell on the fact that Cullen in formalwear would probably cause her to die. “I think I’ve got a couple gowns tucked away - maybe Dorian can help me decide which one. Um. Do you like Orlesian? Last time I was in Redcliffe I saw this Orlesian place that looked like it might be worth trying.”_
> 
> _“I do, especially the pastries.” He smiled. “That sounds completely perfect. I’ll look forward to it.”_
> 
> _“Okay. Great. Uh. I should… go. I have to… take care of some things for class and you have those things to grade,” she managed, feeling as if her brain was short-circuiting._
> 
> “ _Oh, yes. Right.” He nodded._ Maker’s breath, I forgot all about the papers! If I’m honest I think I forgot where I was for a moment… _“Yes. Good idea. See you in the dining hall later, then.”_
> 
> _“Sure. Absolutely.” With a final nod, she left his classroom and made it about as far as her own office before almost collapsing. Immediately, she pulled out her phone and began texting Dorian._
> 
> **_Fairy Godfather, it… kind of worked._ **
> 
> **_It “kind of” worked? I’m going to need you to “kind of” explain that._ **
> 
> **_I’ll try. Where are you? It might be easier to explain face to face._ **
> 
> **_The library, of course. Shall I hand my keys over to Felix and come to your classroom?_ **
> 
> **_Please. I’m a little flustered._**
> 
> _He arrived a few minutes later and held out his arms as if in anticipation. “All right, your Fairy Godfather has been summoned, my dear. Tell me what’s going on.”_
> 
> _He took a seat and she began to explain what had happened as best she could. “I don’t think it’s really a date,” she sighed when she had finished. “He didn’t say anything like that. But it’s probably the closest I’ll get so… better than nothing?”_  
> 
> _Dorian had listened to her intently as she spoke, wearing an amused look on his face that more or less said_ oh, Maker, look at my precious, innocent children _._ _“He may not have said it in so many words, but you’re going out to an upscale restaurant whilst decked out in finery,” he said at last. “It’s a date.”_
> 
> _“Honestly, I don’t think he intended to ask me at all. I think he was making a joke and I managed to corner him on a technicality. Maybe… what if he doesn’t really want to do this?”_
> 
> _Dorian chuckled. “My dear, we call him the unicorn for a reason - the fact that he even had the wherewithal to make such a joke in the first place is significant progress. He agreed to go out with you in public_ alone _and didn’t run away. That’s something.”_
> 
> _“I suppose. I guess I’m just not letting myself get too excited because I don’t want to be disappointed. You will help me decide what to wear, though, right?”_  
> 
> _His eyes sparkled. “My dear, the only way I wouldn’t help you with that is if I was dead or dying - and since neither of those things are happening because I’m too pretty to die, you can_ count _on my help.”_
> 
> _“Good. Because I can’t very well wear the same thing on both outings, you know, and I’m terrible at these sorts of decisions.”_
> 
> _He helped her pick out two dresses, black silk for the date with Krem and green velvet for the is-it-a-date with Cullen. Soon Friday rolled around and found her meeting Krem at the appointed hour, with her hair in an Orlesian braid and a jeweled butterfly brooch over her heart and a patient smile on her face._
> 
> _“Hi,” she greeted Krem pleasantly._
> 
> _He was in a brown sport coat and slacks, looking incredibly nervous. As she walked up, his eyes took on a complete deer-in-headlights quality. “H-hello. You uh… you look nice. Really nice. I…” He managed, clearing his throat. “We should go. I made a reservation, so…”_
> 
> _“Of course. You look very handsome.” She brushed some imaginary lint from his lapel, like a big sister. “Lead the way.”_
> 
> _He smiled slightly, still nervous, but felt a bit soothed as they walked out._
> 
> _Meanwhile, in the staff room, Bull and Dorian were literally pacing a giant circle like parents waiting for their children to return. Cullen sat in the corner with a book, but kept watching them. Cass was also trying to read, but found it difficult with the sound of Bull’s heavy footsteps and Dorian dramatically sighing as he checked his watch, so she gave up at last. “All right, that’s it for me then, I think. I’ll see you all tomorrow - do try not to pace a hole in the floor, gentlemen.”_

 

“They did a good job writing you, Dorian,” Cullen teased slightly.

“And they absolutely nailed our relationship,” Evvy added, laughing. “Down to you helping me decide what to wear.”

“Did they spend the year studying their course material or studying all of us?” Dorian asked with a chuckle, shaking his head in obvious affection. “I think they know us a little _too_ well.”

“I suspect they were taking notes,” offered Josie, giggling. “Do go on, I’m dying to hear what comes next!”

 

> _She stood to exit when suddenly Evvy entered the room. “Hi. We’re back,” she said, looking around in surprise. “Were you all waiting?”_
> 
> _“No,” Cullen blurted, shocked to realize it was he who broke the silence. He suddenly realized that in the past few hours, he had maybe read two lines of the book in his hands; a fact which, if Dorian’s smirk was anything to go by, did not go unnoticed. “I mean… I was just, uh…”_
> 
> _Dorian rolled his eyes almost teasingly. “I don’t speak for the rest of the party here, but yes, I was waiting. I wanted to hear how it went and didn’t want to wait until tomorrow.”_
> 
> _“Fair enough. It was a very pleasant evening.” She sat down and started undoing her braid while she spoke. She was ignoring Cullen, honestly not sure how to interpret his comments. “Krem’s a perfect gentleman, Bull. Once he got over his nervousness he was charming. Good manners, interesting conversation, and as we all know, cute as a button. I think he’s ready for the real thing.”_

 

“Awwww,” Evvy and Josie said together.

“That’s so sweet. They really idolize him, don’t they?” Evvy added.

“Who doesn’t?” Bull returned with a note of fatherly pride.

“That is true. He has almost as many fangirls as Cullen at this point,” Cass said with a smile. “I’m not surprised to see him getting a bit of love - even if it’s just in fanfiction.”

“Shame this Mary Halewell is only an invention,” Blackwall commented. He had been largely quiet up to this point, except for the occasional bark of rough laughter. “She’d probably be swooning over him too, if she was real.”

“Perhaps she’s a stand-in for Rory herself,” replied Dorian with a little shrug. “The girl has a terrible crush. Or perhaps the kids know something we don’t.”

“I’ll look into it,” said Bull. “Go on, Varric.”

 

> _A look of relief crossed Dorian’s face. “Ah, splendid!” He chimed, turning to face Bull. “See,_ amatus _? I told you there was nothing to worry about.”_
> 
> _Cass merely rolled her eyes at this, because Dorian was probably the more worried out of the two of them. Meanwhile, Cullen was a little fixated on Evvy’s braid and, since no one was paying him any attention at all, he sort of just played possum while he watched._
> 
> _“I did give him a couple pointers,” Evvy continued. “Once he’s got his date arranged with the lady, he should try to find out what flowers she likes and send them the morning of the date - failing the recon, roses are usually a safe bet. Oh, and please, remind him to avoid wine if he’s nervous. One of my brothers made that mistake and got completely bombed… it didn’t impress his date in the slightest,” she added, chuckling._
> 
> _Cullen was listening intently from his spot in the corner. Cass, who had been standing close at hand and drinking the whole thing in, gave him a teasing look and mouthed_ I’ll text that list to you _. Cullen merely glared while she grinned._
> 
> _“So where did you two go?” Dorian asked._
> 
> _“The Antivan place on Calenhad in Redcliffe. Nice dessert menu, may I add. I had the seafood Madrigal, he had the porterhouse. We mostly talked about Skyhold things, because I was trying to keep him on topics that were comfortable to him but I don’t know enough about football to keep up with a talk about that.”_
> 
> _“That was kind of you, I’m sure it helped him feel less nervous,” Cullen said, shocked to find himself speaking. “He should… he should ask her about her music - the girl he likes, I mean. I’m sure he… knows that already. But just in case.”_
> 
> _Everyone looked at him in vague surprise. “Actually, that’s an excellent point,” Evvy said, glancing at Bull. “Remind him of that. To show an interest in what she does, let her talk about her passions… there’s no quicker way to the heart of anyone who creates.”_
> 
> _“Is that so?” Dorian smirked, glancing at Cullen._
> 
> _“Good advice, I’ll tell him,” Bull added, doing likewise._
> 
> _“Well, I should… probably stop eavesdropping,” The history professor coughed, having turned his trademark shade of red._
> 
> _“It’s hardly eavesdropping when we’re all sitting here together,” Evvy said as she finished unweaving her braid, very pointedly NOT glancing at Cullen. “I think I’ll turn in, though… have a good night, everyone.”_
> 
> _There was a general murmur of goodnight. Cullen was the last to speak, his tone a bit shy. “Good night, I’ll uh… see you tomorrow, then?”_
> 
> _“Eight, right?” Her tone was also a little shy, not least because she still wasn’t convinced he wanted to go through with it._
> 
> _“Eight, yes. I’m looking forward to it.”_
> 
> You are? _she wondered. “Oh, well, good. Um. See you then.” A bit dazed, she left the staff room._
> 
> _After a beat, Cass chuckled. “And what’s this about, I wonder?”_
> 
> _“Nothing, it’s nothing,” Cullen insisted, making a face that said it was most certainly_ not _nothing. “You’ll see soon enough, anyway. I should turn in for the night as well, if you’ll all excuse me.”_
> 
> _“Why don’t I believe you?” she interrupted with a smirk._
> 
> _“I have a feeling none of you would believe me no matter what I said.” He sighed._
> 
> _“Try us.” Cass’s gaze was genuinely surprised._
> 
> _“I said you’ll find out soon enough,” he fired back, actually looking a tad mischievous. “Now, I should probably sleep. Good night, all.”_
> 
> _“Good night…” Cass waited until he left before turning to Dorian. “What’s going on? I know you know, Evvy tells you everything.”_
> 
> _Dorian shrugged slightly, giving a little smirk. “He asked Evvy out on a… something. I think it sounds like a date - or, at least, as much of a date as one would expect from the unicorn. But he never actually said the word ‘date’, so Evvy is more than a bit confused over the whole thing.”_
> 
> _“Oh, Maker’s breath. If it’s not a date, what else_ could _it be?”_
> 
> _Dorian held up his hands. "I know, I know - that's what I told her. He asked her out to dinner - a high-end dinner no less - but she thinks he was just joking and she trapped him. You know how those two are."_
> 
> _“Ugh,” Cassandra replied, making a noise of disgust. “We’ll all die of old age before they figure themselves out. Well, I’m turning in - let me know if there are any developments.”_
> 
> _"You're not wrong,” remarked Dorian. “Hopefully they work some things out tomorrow night - if not, I'm not above rapping them both on the knuckles with a ruler. I'll keep everyone posted."_
> 
> _Time passed, as it is wont to do, and the following evening saw Evvy - who looked divine in dark green velvet with emeralds and curls in her hair - making her way to meet Cullen. “No big deal. You’re just helping him out of his shell a bit farther. It doesn’t mean anything,” she muttered to herself as she walked._
> 
> _Cullen was waiting in a black suit coat with a white button-down shirt and a red tie, fussing with his hair. He kept fidgeting nervously, trying to remind himself to calm down and take a breath, but he really had no idea what he was doing - this was VERY far out of his wheelhouse._
> 
> _Evvy turned to look at him. “There you are,” she said. “You look… quite dashing.”_ Oh Maker oh Andraste please please let this go well.
> 
> _Cullen turned at the sound of her voice and it was like he had actually lost the ability to speak; for several seconds, he merely blinked because Maker's breath she looked gorgeous. After a few seconds of gaping, he managed to stammer. "E-Evvy. Hello. I... thank you. You look... you look wonderful."_
> 
> _“Oh - thank you. Well, uh… shall we? I called for a taxi since neither of us has a car…”_
> 
> _"Oh, yes, right. Good idea. Well…” He held his breath, said a quick prayer, and offered her his arm._
> 
> _Charmed, she took it, and the cab left them at the door of the restaurant a short while later. “I’ve never eaten here but it’s… uh… really pretty,” she said, peering around._
> 
> _"It's beautiful,” he agreed. Internally, he added,_ And you're beautiful, Andraste preserve me. _“It reminds me of how Genitivi describes some of the buildings in the Orlesian marketplace."_
> 
> _“Oh, definitely. The same level of opulence.”_
> 
> _They gave their names at the host’s stand and were soon seated in a romantic secluded corner, which made Evvy blush even more. “So… prepared to stay out past midnight?” she asked Cullen._
> 
> _"Oh, yes - I had an extra cup of coffee to help keep me awake and everything,” he replied with a chuckle. “In all seriousness, though, this is... a bit exciting actually. Do you have any thoughts about what else we should do tonight? Or am I getting too far ahead of myself?"_

 

“Now this is all spot on,” Cullen said, laughing slightly at his own characterization and turning to face his wife. “I’m actually a little impressed - that’s pretty much the exact reaction I have to seeing you in formalwear.”

“Sweet talker,” she replied fondly. “But yes, they’ve got us all pegged so well, it’s almost unnerving. I’m just wondering what the title is going to turn out to mean…”

“I’m dying to know that myself,” Dorian admitted and offered Varric a bottle of water as he continued.

“Thanks, Sparkler, I needed that. I’m glad you’re all enjoying this as much as I thought you would,” he added. “I’ll do an encore performance tonight over Skype for Sunshine.”

“She’ll love that,” Hawke assured him. Despite not having been around to witness most of Evvy and Cullen’s actual romance, she was still quite evidently taken by the story and she wore an enormous grin as she listened.

 

> _“Exciting?” she repeated._ I’m glad he’s excited; I’m so nervous I could be sick. _“I mean - no, I hadn’t quite worked that out. To be honest, I’m not sure about the options. You know, what’s open this late and everything.”_
> 
> _"Maybe we can... I don't know... walk around a bit when we're done? Explore Redcliffe? It's been a while since I've been here to just strictly explore."_
> 
> _“I’d like that. I’ve only been here maybe two other times myself. Well, now…” She opened the menu and threw out a teasing question. “What would Genitivi eat?”_
> 
> _Cullen laughed at that. "'WWGE' - I like it,” he replied, smiling as he opened his own menu. “Well, Genitivi was all about exploration, so he would probably order something like the escargot. But I don't know if I'm that brave..."_
> 
> _“Snails? Oh, no, thank you,” she said with a playful shudder. “I’ll stick with something safe. Petite sirloin, medium, with seasonal vegetables. Have to save room for dessert.”_
> 
> _"Oh, absolutely, yes - good idea. Dessert is the best part of a meal, after all. Let's see... the coq au vin sounds like a safe bet," he said ponderously._
> 
> _“Do you speak any Orlesian? I only know a little myself.”_
> 
> _"That's pretty much the extent of it,” he laughed. “I know about as much as they taught me in school -_ merci _, and_ bonjour _, and the like. I would be a lost soul if you dropped me in the middle of an Orlesian village and told me to survive."_
> 
> _“I speak a tiny bit of Orlesian, and a little more Nevarran and Antivan.” She paused, thinking, then let the Antivan roll off her tongue to say_ You look like something out of a dream _, hoping he would have no idea what she had said._
> 
> _It was once more like he had forgotten how to speak. "Wow. That was... beautiful. What does that mean?"_
> 
> _“Oh, I… don’t remember exactly. Something about a dream. It’s an expression in Antiva, meant to pay a compliment.” She sipped her water, blushing still._
> 
> _"Well, whatever it means, I thank you.” He blushed as well. “I would very much like to learn another language - but it's one of those things I've never done. Oh! I do know this in Orlesian, though.” He took a deep breath and spouted off the first few lines of_ La Vie En Rose _. “That's from an Orlesian song, but I have no idea what it means."_
> 
> _It was her turn to forget how to talk. “You should… look it up sometime. It’s beautiful. Do you sing?”_
> 
> _"Oh, uh…” He rubbed the back of his neck a touch self-consciously. "A little. Or, well, I did in school, but not recently. However, I do still know how to sing a large majority of the Chant of Light, so that's something."_
> 
> _“You have such a pleasant speaking voice, I’ll bet you sing charmingly. Um. Oh.” The server took their orders and, to Evvy’s profound embarrassment, eyed her with great admiration._
> 
> _Cullen barely had time to blush and say thank you when the time came to order... and the way the waiter looked at Evvy made Cullen squirm a bit. He raked his teeth over his bottom lip._
> 
> _Evvy offered the waiter a polite smile, freezing slightly as he complimented how she liked her steak and mumbling a thank-you into her water glass._
> 
> _Cullen, meanwhile, did his best to be cordial, even though what he really wanted to do was shoo the waiter away. He hated the fact that he felt jealous, but he did, and wanted desperately to turn the conversation to something more pleasant when the waiter departed. "So... how is the art competition prep going?" he asked at last._
> 
> _Evvy dimly recalled her advice to Bull for Krem, and liked to think Cullen was paying attention. “Very well. We’ve got ten kids entering, including Rocky. I never would have guessed he was such a sculpture enthusiast - he’s doing a bust of Bull, which is both adorable and hilarious. And Sera surprised me, she’s entering a portrait of her girlfriend, Dagna. It’s quite good, and much more serious than her usual work.”_
> 
> _"Oh, that's fantastic!” He beamed, obviously very proud of the students. “The kids are all very excited about the contest, from what I hear. And you've really been inspiring them."_
> 
> _“I try. I’m sure some of them miss Ms. Hawke, but I’m quite fond of them and they seem fond of me too. What matters is that they’re trying their best.”_
> 
> _“Indeed.” He was still smiling warmly. “And what about your own art? Other than getting the students ready for the contest, is there anything you’ve been working on?”_
> 
> _He was rewarded for his interest with a delighted smile. “I had my brother Nathaniel sneak me a bunch of reference pictures of our new nephew. I’m doing a baby portrait for my sister. He’s so cute, I can’t wait to meet him!”_
> 
> _That smile made his brain go a bit fuzzy, but he managed to keep it together. “That’s lovely. I trust Allegra and baby Sebastian are both still doing well?”_
> 
> Perfect inquiry, Cullen, five points for you _, she thought. “They are, thank you. She thinks they’ll be able to bring him home from the hospital before too much longer, he’s putting on weight. And she’s recovering well, although it’s possible Seb will end up an only child.”_
> 
> _“Well, I’m very glad to hear they’re both doing well, thank the Maker for that. Do you have any of those pictures your brother managed to get for you?”_
> 
> _She immediately pulled out her phone. “Start here and swipe left,” She passed it to him, hoping he wouldn't scroll back to see pictures she’d taken of him on the sly to show Allegra. “Isn’t he sweet? I want like nine.” She laughed, only half kidding._
> 
> _He smiled warmly, peering at each photo. “Oh, oh he is sweet, you’re right.” He laughed slightly as he scrolled through. “Just look at him. He’s precious, Ev.”_
> 
> _“I love kids.” Her tone was almost apologetic. “I guess that’s why I like teaching so much - gotta vent those maternal feelings somewhere, right? But my nieces and nephews are almighty precious to me.”_
> 
> _He forced himself not to panic - they were just having a low-key chat about wanting kids, after all. Not a big deal. “Oh, I agree. Varric once made the joke that I probably carry around pictures of my history class in my wallet so I can brag to people.” He chuckled._
> 
> _Evvy laughed too. “I won’t ask if you do, but I can say it wouldn’t surprise me. Do you have any nieces or nephews? I don’t recall you mentioning if any of your siblings have kids.”_
> 
> _“No, not yet. My brother Branson has a girlfriend he adores, so we all tease him about settling down, but that would probably be much further down the road anyway. So for now, it’s just my students.”_
> 
> _“Do you have pictures of your siblings? I don’t think I’ve ever seen your brother and sisters.”_
> 
> _“I do, actually,” He grabbed his phone and pulled up a picture of he and all three of his siblings with their arms around each other. “This is us at my sister Rosalie’s twenty-fifth birthday. That’s my older sister Mia, my younger brother Branson, and there’s Rosalie, she’s the youngest.”_
> 
> _“Your sisters are beautiful. I know women who would kill for hair like theirs,” She chuckled. “And Branson’s quite the handsome devil too. He looks a lot like you.”_ Read between the lines, unicorn.
> 
> _He may have been an oblivious unicorn, but even he wasn’t_ that _oblivious, and he blushed at the compliment. “Oh. Oh, thank you. I know I... didn’t really have anything to do with it but… thank you all the same,” he said, clearing his throat and taking a sip of water awkwardly._

 

The reading had to pause briefly here because Dorian was laughing so hard he was nearly in tears. “I... that’s perfect,” he managed at last between gales of laughter. “This is exactly how your first date would have gone, I just know it.”

“It’s rather adorable in its own oblivious way,” remarked Leliana, smiling over her teacup. “Not unlike the real thing, may I add.”

“I’m a little afraid to ask…” Cullen ventured. “Was I as bad as they portray? Was I worse?” He seemed almost laughably alarmed.

“You were definitely this bad,” Bull assured him. “It was amazing.”

“Oh, well, I suppose if it was ‘amazing’...” Cullen shrugged in reply, giving a slightly bashful chuckle as he did so.

Everyone laughed. “All that matters is that you two sorted yourselves out in the end,” said Varric.

“And thank the Maker for it too,” Cass added, sipping at a cup of tea. “Now let’s see how they sort themselves out in this story. Hopefully Dorian doesn’t really have to rap them on the knuckles with a ruler.”

“Well, let’s see…”

 

> _“You’re entirely welcome,” she said._ Did I embarrass him? Change the subject _. “So… what are you reading these days?” She gave him back the phone and started buttering a roll._
> 
> _Okay, reading was always a safe subject. He smiled warmly again. “Well, Mia actually got me_ The Changing Face of Thedas _for my birthday, so I’m deep in that at the moment. And of course, I always read a bit of_ Walking the Earth _whenever I can. I’ve probably read it in full about thirty times, but I can’t help reading it again.”_
> 
> _“I think most of us have a book for which we have a similar feeling. So tell me about_ The Changing Face of Thedas _\- I’m not familiar with that one.” At that moment, the food arrived, so between the book and eating she was confident that should prevent any great awkward missteps._
> 
> _“Oh, it’s excellent,” he said and began chatting excitedly about it as they ate. “I’m almost finished with it, so you’re more than welcome to borrow it if you’d like,” he said at last. “Although I might be more enamored with it than most people would be,” he added with a chuckle._
> 
> _“I’ll take a look. It sounds interesting.” She had cleaned her plate in the meantime. “That was probably the best steak I’ve had in months.”_
> 
> _“Oh, good, I’m glad to hear it. This was delicious, too - but if I’m being honest, I’m looking forward to dessert. I have a bit of a weakness for sweets,” he said conspiratorially._
> 
> _“Really? I didn’t know that. What’s your favorite?” she asked._ How did I not know that? I could have been winning your affections with cake for the last several weeks!

 

Evvy burst out laughing. “Yes, that was information I could have used much sooner,” she agreed. “I could have laid out a trail of pastries leading you into one of those traps made with a cardboard box and a stick.”

Cullen laughed deeply and made a face that suggested he was imagining how such a scenario could have played out. “That... probably would have worked, actually,” he said with a teasing grin. Across from him, Dorian nearly spat his coffee as he started snickering.

“I would have paid good money to see that,” said Bull.

“You and me both, Tiny,” Varric agreed.

 

> _“Well, of course I love anything that can combine desserts with coffee,” he laughed. “But I’m not too difficult to please - simple cookies or a slice of cake are perfect.”_
> 
> _“Duly noted for future reference… that sort of information could come in handy.” She smiled sweetly._
> 
> _He was once again thrown off by that smile because it was_ everything _. “I uh … that’s … very nice. But, uh, turnabout is fair play.” He likewise smiled and hoped it was a charming one. “So if I can find something like that for you too, I will. I already know about the hot chocolate, but…”_
> 
> Oh, Maker, that smile could be weaponized. _“Hmm… I have my weaknesses, but I’d just as soon they not become… public knowledge. We’ll see if you can learn them in time.”_
> 
> Oh my _,_ _he thought blankly_. Ohhhhhh my. That’s … I … Oh, Andraste preserve me. Speak, Cullen, speak! _“That sounds fair. I definitely hope I learn them.”_
> 
> _“Hmm. That begs the question of what you would do with such knowledge if you were to gain it.” The green eyes were sparkling playfully._
> 
> _His mouth went dry, but he managed to smile. “I can’t reveal all my secrets, can I? I need to save some surprises for down the road, after all.”_ Maker, her eyes are gorgeous beyond all reason.
> 
> _“Cullen, somehow I feel like you’re full of surprises. Tonight, for example… I mean, I know you were joking about the whole thing but you really surprised me by following through.”_
> 
> _He blushed. “Well, the uh… the whole ‘needing a chaperon’ thing was a bit of a joke, yes, but… but I wasn’t joking about wanting to go out… especially… with you.”_
> 
> _“...really? I mean - really??” Her eyes were wide._
> 
> _He was a little shocked to have said it aloud - he certainly felt it, but he hadn’t expected to force the words out of his mouth. But he nevertheless continued. “Yes. Really. Of course. I… well, you… we…” He sighed. “I had a more complete statement in my head, but… no matter. The short answer is_ yes, really _._ _”_
> 
> _“I… well. I’m… glad. I wanted to go out too. I mean… with you.” replied Evvy._ Oh Maker - well, he said it, I can’t do less _._
> 
> _It was like the clouds had parted and the Heavens had opened up. For a few seconds, it was all he could do to stare, then he smiled a massive smile. “I… I’m glad too. This has been nice and I… I’d like to do it again, if you’d like to.”_
> 
> _“Yes, I would like that very much. Whenever you like - my evenings are usually free.”_ Did he really just…? Dorian is going to flip.
> 
> _“Mine too - as you can probably imagine. Uh, how about Friday evening? We can… go to a movie maybe?”_
> 
> _“I’m game. What do you think you’d like to see?”_
> 
> _“Oh, don’t let me pick, or you’ll end up suffering through some history documentary.” He smiled. “What do_ you _think you’d like to see?”_
> 
> _“Well… you probably wouldn’t want to see the new Disney movie… so I’m not quite sure what to suggest…”_
> 
> _“Actually…” he said slowly. “Actually I would. You’re looking at a bit of a closet Disney fan here.”_
> 
> _“You’d go with me to see_ Beauty and the Beast _? I’m still tingling over the fact that they made a live action version of my favorite story.”_

 

Now it was Cullen’s turn to interrupt the flow of the story by laughing too hard. Cass quirked an eyebrow. “What is even happening here?” she chortled.

“Somehow they discovered our mutual love of Disney films - which probably wasn’t too hard, really,” Evvy acknowledged.

“Considering Miss Rory was part of the little retinue that requested I sing ‘Kiss the Girl’ during the concert, I think she and Jim might feel the same way,” suggested Dorian mirthfully.

 

> _“Of course I would,” he said. He found her surprise amusing - after all, he was the surprised one, surprised that she would want to spend any time with him at all. “I didn’t know it was your favorite story, how nice.”_
> 
> _“I can probably still quote most of the animated version from memory. But yeah, it’s my favorite fairy tale - the whole ‘beauty is found within’ schtick and everything. I think it sends a good message…”_
> 
> _“It does. I think we can all learn from that message. I know I can, at times,” he admitted._
> 
> _“Somebody who looks like you probably doesn’t have too much trouble,” she said almost absently, then nearly panicked._ Are you insane? Abort! _“I - I mean…”_ Too late, he’ll probably run now.
> 
> _He looked up at her with wide eyes, his cheeks flushed furiously, but he smiled nevertheless. “Oh, well… thank you. But, uh… even without the fangs and claws, I can feel a bit beastly at times. It’s nice… it’s a nice thought to think about people seeing past that.”_
> 
> _“Yes, I… I understand. I feel a bit beastly sometimes too - and I’ve always been inclined to hide as much as possible so people don’t see that side of me,” Evvy agreed. “It’s taken a lot of effort to break the habit, but I want the students to know they can come to me. And the rest of you too, of course. Still, sometimes I’d… rather hide.”_
> 
> _“I know what that feels like,” he said softly. “I might… I might know what that feels like better than anyone. But you’re not beastly at all, Ev - no one at Skyhold would ever think that. Me least of all.”_
> 
> _“Neither are you, Cullen. And no one at Skyhold would think it of you - certainly not me. Not… ever.”_
> 
> _The look in Cullen’s eyes was almost impossibly soft and tender. Before he could stop himself, he reached forward for her hand, took it gently, and bent to kiss it for several seconds. Immediately, he went a bit red, realizing what he had just done, but nevertheless gave her a shy smile._
> 
> _After a moment, Evvy remembered how to breathe. “I… well. That… was…” She blushed, returning that shy smile. “I don’t have words for that. But in a good way.”_
> 
> _“I… well, good… I… that was unexpected, I’m sure, but I… well, it’s just so very nice to hear that not everyone sees me the way I see myself, so…”_
> 
> _“Cullen?”_
> 
> _“Y-yes?”_
> 
> _“Let’s… get out of here.”_
> 
> _His voice was little more than a breathless whisper. “Okay.”_
> 
> _Several minutes later, the bill had been paid and they were on the streets of Redcliffe. “So, um… look,” Evvy began. “I think I just need to come out and say this because it’s been weighing on my mind and I think I actually have you in a place where you won’t run away so I need to just say what I’m thinking before I lose my nerve and…” Her mouth was a fountain of words and she found that she couldn’t turn it off._
> 
> _Cullen was still in a bit of a fog from the kiss he had pressed to Evvy’s hand and her assurances that she didn’t see him as some sort of freak. And normally all he would have wanted to do would have been to let her talk... but there was something intoxicating about her speaking in a frenzy and the look in her eyes and something in his brain refused to be satisfied until…_
> 
> _He took a step forward, put his hands on her cheeks, and kissed her before she could continue._
> 
> _Evvy’s brain short-circuited for a moment, and when the kiss broke, she blinked at Cullen in a sort of shock. “I… yes, I believe that’s… what I was trying to say.”_

 

There were a few delighted squeals and gasps. “Oh, Maker, this is adorable,” Josephine gushed. “Almost as much as the real thing. I’m just so… eee.” 

“So romantic,” Cass sighed in agreement, then glanced at Cullen, who looked extremely amused by the reactions. “Not that the real thing wasn’t, of course. I’m sure that was very romantic too.”

“It was,” Evvy replied with a nostalgic smile. “But this is quite precious. If I ignore the fact that it’s us, and just think about it as being characters, it’s really something else.”

“They are both very talented.” Cullen nodded. “You should be proud, Varric.”

“So should you - for being so inspirational.” He smirked and resumed reading.

 

> _Cullen looked equally shocked and a bit shy, as if he couldn’t believe he had actually done it (mostly because he truly couldn’t believe it). “I - I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to… cut you off like that. But... that was, uh, really nice.”_
> 
> _“You’re sorry…? Cullen, I’ve wanted you to do that for_ weeks _. Practically since I first saw you, to be honest.”_ That’s a little too honest _, she internally chastised herself._ He’s gonna think you’re crazy _._
> 
> “ _R-really?” He was a little red, but he smiled. “I can’t say I haven’t been thinking about it myself - thinking about what I would do or say in order to tell you I think you’re… the most wonderful person I’ve ever met.” It was like his tongue had been completely unstoppered - it was terrifying and liberating all at once._
> 
> _“I… wondered about that,” she admitted. “Sometimes it seems like you… really like me, but then you… run away… so I wasn’t sure what was the truth.”_
> 
> _“The truth is I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you,” he said, then immediately worried._ Does that sound creepy? Oh Maker please don’t let that have sounded creepy. _“I… I do really like you. And that… scared me a little because you’re fantastic and I’m… well, me… and we’re colleagues. Honestly, I didn’t think it was possible.”_
> 
> _She gave him a little lopsided smile, finding his statement adorable rather than creepy. “And yet I’m still here,” she said._
> 
> _“So you are,” he replied, returning her smile. “If I had told this to myself a few weeks ago - if I had even told this to myself yesterday - I would have thought it was madness. It all seems like too much to ask… and yet I want to.”_
> 
> _“It’s not too much. You can ask… I can guarantee the answer is favorable.”_
> 
> _“So you would really… you would want to be with me?” His tone was gentle, shy._
> 
> _“Absolutely. No contest.”_
> 
> _At that, his face broke into a luminous smile. “I feel… I feel the same way about you,” He leaned in to kiss her again, finishing by pulling her into an embrace as if just holding her had a healing property._
> 
> _Evvy giggled into his shoulder, feeling punch drunk. “Dorian… Dorian is never going to believe this.”_
> 
> _“Oh!” Cullen said suddenly. “Oh, we were going to surprise the staff with this outing, weren’t we? I would say this is surprising, wouldn’t you?” He smiled, feeling a bit giddy himself._
> 
> _“I for one am shocked.” She paused, then grinned. “Let’s send him a picture…”_
> 
> _“That sounds like a fantastic idea,” They were already quite excellently snuggled together, so almost no posing was necessary to get a good selfie. He pulled out his phone and brought up the camera. “Ready?”_
> 
> _“Wait, even better - a video of you kissing me. He’ll throw his phone across the room,” she decided, giggling._
> 
> _“I get to kiss you_ and _shock Dorian Pavus? Sounds amazing.” He smiled winningly and pressed a few buttons to get a video rather than a still photo. “Do you think this needs an explanation - or does the action do all the talking?”_
> 
> _“Hmmm… oh, I know. I’ll start a little introduction, and you cut me off mid-sentence like the first time you kissed me. He won’t see that coming. Ready?”_
> 
> _“Perfect. I only wish I could be a fly on the wall when he sees this,” he grinned. “Okay, recording in 3… 2… 1…”_
> 
> “ _Hi, Fairy Godfather!” she began. “Well, um, it turns out that this date actually_ was _a date, and it’s going really well, and I just wanted to tell you -” Cullen cut her off there, and several seconds later, Evvy blinked at the phone with dazed eyes. “-uh… don’t wait up. Bye!”_
> 
> _“And cut!” Cullen declared as he stopped the recording, grinning ear to ear. “That was_ fantastic _. I’ll text that to you and you can text it to him.”_
> 
> _A few minutes later, the video had been compressed and sent on its merry way. “What shall we do while we wait for him to respond?” Evvy inquired._
> 
> “ _I can’t imagine we’ll have long to wait.” He laughed. “But the night is still very young - and we skipped dessert at the restaurant, so perhaps we should… get ice cream or something?”_
> 
> _“Ice cream sounds perfect. Do you know a place?” she asked, tucking her arm into his._
> 
> _He beamed at the gesture, feeling completely overjoyed. “Uh… as a matter of fact, I do. There’s a place not far from here - I took the Chess Team there once after they won their regional tournament. It’s really good.”_
> 
> _“Lead the way.”_
> 
> _They got about halfway there when Evvy’s phone started making a lot of noise. “Ooh. Moment of truth… let’s see what he says…”_
> 
> _There were a few messages from Dorian, all right in a row._
> 
> **_What. Is. This?_**   _ran the first._
> 
> **_I mean it, what is this?_ **
> 
> **_WHAT_ **
> 
> **_Who is this man? This cannot be Cullen Rutherford._ **
> 
> **_Did you swoon? Was there swooning? I must know, I hope you’ll spare no details when you get back, dear._ **

 

Dorian digested that. “That would… that would probably be my exact reaction in such a situation, actually. I can find zero fault with that.”

“Likewise,” Evvy said, nodding. “I would absolutely have sent you that video and I can most certainly believe that’s how you would react. That’s actually uncannily close to how you reacted to some of the things I _did_ send you.”

He laughed. “You’re certainly not wrong there. Especially that earlier line about ‘throwing my phone across the room.’ That is actually something I almost did on more than one occasion when I got news updates from you.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if one or both of them witnessed you grappling with your phone and guessed the reason why.” Evvy chuckled.

“Probably Miss Norbertson, if I had to bet,” Cass interjected, glancing at the music teacher. “She seems to be quite a fan of yours, Dorian.”

“Well, of course she is. How could she not be?” he teased, but seemed genuinely pleased behind the bravado.

“She calls you her ray of sunshine,” said Blackwall, causing everyone to look at him. “I heard her in passing one day with Miss Dasher - ‘Professor Pavus is my ray of sunshine.’ Don’t know what prompted it, but there you are.”

Josie gave an approving coo at that. “Oh, hush, you,” Dorian said affectionately, a smile crossing his lips. “You can’t deny she has good taste. Sweet girl. But, you didn’t all come here to listen to me fawn over myself - you came here for a story.”

“True. I’ll continue, then.” Varric chuckled.

 

> _Evvy laughed. “Honestly, I half expected a ‘come home this instant young lady’ or something like that. Hold on, let me reply.” She tapped out a quick message - **It’s definitely Cullen, the swooning was minimal, and I promise all the details when I come home… I just make no promises about when that might be.**_
> 
> _“Dorian is probably tapping his foot in the staff room as we speak.” Cullen laughed as well. “But as I said, the night is still young - I’m sure we can find other ways to shock and confound him.”_
> 
> _Evvy paused, then started giggling helplessly. “I can think of one… but really, it’s almost too cruel. And yet hilarious, considering how long he’s been pushing me to bite the bullet and ask you out myself.”_
> 
> _“Dare I ask what evil plan you have in mind?”_
> 
> _She was almost giggling too hard to speak, but managed at last. “...marry me.”_
> 
> _His eyes went wide in response, because surely he couldn’t have heard that right. “What?”_
> 
> _“I mean - not really! Just a - a stunt, you know, fake rings and stuff, it was just a joke, I swear I’m not crazy enough to suggest actually getting married on the first date…”_ Not that I’d be entirely opposed but oh Maker he’s going to regret all of this now.
> 
> “ _O-oh, yes, of course. I - I knew you were joking,” he managed with a smile, while wondering if he could get the blood to stop pounding in his ears. After a moment, he cleared his throat and chuckled slightly. “That - that_ is _a bit cruel, actually. And yet, it could also be delightful. The goal of the evening was to shock them, after all.”_
> 
> _“You… you really want to…?”_
> 
> _“Sure, why not? I’ve never been involved in a prank before, it’ll be fun,” he said with a shrug and a grin._

 

“Oh, no,” Cullen said, laughing deeply. “I have a feeling this is where it all goes sideways. Although that turn of phrase doesn’t exactly describe being married to you. I should say, I have a feeling this is where things start looking up.”

“I know what you mean,” Evvy assured him. “Given the title, I wondered if this was what they had in mind. Why do I get the impression that the ‘prank’ will backfire in some delightful manner?”

“Well, let’s find out.” Cullen smirked. “How are you holding up, Varric? Need to rest your voice?”

“I’m surviving, Curly, but I may ask someone to take over soon. This is longer than I thought.”

“They evidently had a lot to say,” Dorian said with a low chuckle. “I volunteer to take the reins if and when you need a break.”

“Duly noted. Let’s get on with it…”

 

> _“Let’s see… well, there’s a jeweler over there, if we explain the situation and actually buy something to make it worth his time, he’d probably help us. People are usually pretty good about assisting with pranks as long as they’re not mean-spirited, and I don’t think this is.”_
> 
> _“If anything, this prank is more hazardous to us than it is to our friends because there’s a better than good chance Dorian will kill us. Well, kill me at least - he loves you too much and he’ll probably blame the whole thing on me anyway.” He laughed._
> 
> _“I’ll protect you. Come on, let’s do this before I lose my nerve.” She pulled him across the street by the hand._
> 
> _Smiling, he allowed himself to be guided along. They arrived at the shop and the owner looked up from where he had been reading a book, obviously waiting for business on a slow night. “Um, hello,” Cullen began with a slightly nervous smile. “This… this probably sounds a bit strange - but we’re hoping to pull a bit of a prank on our friends. You see, this is our first date,” he gestured between himself and Evvy, “and our friends have been quite invested in us for a while now. So, we thought it might be funny if we convinced them that we eloped. We were… wondering if you could help us. Maybe let us borrow wedding rings quickly so we can take a few pictures? And we would most definitely buy something before we left to make it worth your while.”_
> 
> _The jeweler looked a little surprised, but laughed. “Sure, I think we can set something up for you. My wedding rings are in the case over here - have a look, see what speaks to you.”_
> 
> _“Oh. Oh, thank you very much.” Cullen had expected he would have to do so much more explaining than that. “We’re not usually like this, but imagining the look on our colleagues’ faces was too much to pass up.” He went over to the case and looked around, trying not to dwell too long on how surreal and amazing it felt to be looking at wedding rings with Evvy._
> 
> _“Colleagues, eh? That’s one I haven’t heard before. Where do you work, then?” The jeweler asked._
> 
> _“We’re teachers up at Skyhold.” Evvy replied, feeling about as dazed as Cullen - maybe even more, since this was her idea and he went with it._
> 
> _“Skyhold… oh, wait a sec. Art and history, am I right?”_
> 
> _Cullen lifted an eyebrow. “Yes, that’s right. H-how did you know that?”_
> 
> _“Your pal Tethras is in the same merchants’ guild as I am - he tells stories sometimes about his friends at the school. Last time we met, he was chuckling about the history teacher being sweet on the art teacher.”_

“Well, look at that,” said Varric. “About time I got a cameo in here somewhere.”

“Here’s a question,” Cullen said, arching one eyebrow in query. “Did you really tell stories about Evvy and me? I mean, of course you told the Hawkes, but otherwise?”

“You mean, does this bit have basis in reality?” Varric snorted. “No way. I don’t go to meetings of the merchants’ guild if I can help it, and I don’t spend any longer than necessary when I do.”

“That wasn’t exactly an answer, but all right,” Cullen conceded with a smile.

“What I mean is, to tell stories, I’d have to stick around. And I don’t.”

“Well at least I know there isn’t a large subsection of the merchants’ guild having a laugh over it somewhere. That’s something.” He shrugged lightly.

“Frankly, if I could tell stories, those meetings would be a lot more interesting. Sparkler, take over for me a bit, will you?”

“Why certainly,” Dorian replied, holding out his hand for the papers. He looked vaguely delighted. “Let’s see where this goes, shall we?”

 

> _“Yes, that certainly sounds like something Varric would say,” Cullen said, blushing slightly and rubbing the back of his neck as he glanced at Evvy. “So uh… anything here really strike your fancy?”_
> 
> _Evvy smiled to herself. “Well, these are very pretty - look, the gold bands are inset with tiny diamonds and emeralds. Probably a little ostentatious, though. See anything you like?”_
> 
> _He pointed to the band she had mentioned. “That’s beautiful. If you like it, we should definitely pick that one. After all, if we’re eloping we should go all out, shouldn’t we?” he added with a teasing smile._
> 
> _“Those are actually on sale, if you know anybody who wants them for real,” The jeweler had an impudent glint in his eyes. “Not sure how committed to the prank you are, but there’s a matching engagement ring too.”_
> 
> _“That’s not a bad idea. I could always pass it along to my brother in case he decides to propose to his girlfriend someday soon.” Cullen shrugged._ Or I can… hold on to it… for the future. Oh, Maker’s breath.
> 
> _“Does his girlfriend like emeralds? Better make sure of that before you commit to someone else’s jewelry purchase, lad,” the jeweler warned._
> 
> _“Well, she was born in May, so I think emeralds are her birthstone anyway, right?” He glanced at Evvy as if to say_ what do you think? Should I do this?
> 
> _“Maybe you should ask Branson?” she suggested. “He might already have a ring picked out.”_
> 
> _“I rather doubt that,” He chuckled slightly. “All right, I’ll take a picture and text him. Maybe I’ll group text all of my siblings - then Mia and Rosalie can harass him about proposing. I’ll be but a moment.” He took the picture and sort of wandered off to text._
> 
> _Evvy left him to his own devices, surprised by her own slight disappointment. “Oh, sir, I do like this emerald bracelet - it matches my necklace. Could I see that, please?”_
> 
> _Meanwhile, Cullen’s entire conversation with Branson lasted about two messages starting with **Don’t ask, long story, but if I bought this as a prank and had no use for it, would you want it for when you propose?** and ending with Branson responding **Ha! You’ll probably use it, just keep it.** Blushing once more, Cullen returned. “I, uh, I have the go-ahead. So. If you want…” _
> 
> _“Oh - he wants it, really? Well… all right then, sir, if you please. Hey, suppose we first send Dorian an engagement photo, and then several minutes later throw in the wedding picture as a follow up? He’ll be totally confused!”_
> 
> _Cullen laughed. “That sounds perfect. And by perfect, I mean diabolical. I’m all for it.”_
> 
> _The jeweler handed over the engagement ring and Evvy slid it onto her finger experimentally. “Oh, Maker, it’s stunning. I - I’m sure your brother’s girlfriend will love it.”_
> 
> _It_ was _stunning, and it made Cullen’s brain stray into certain territories… he forced himself to stop thinking about that and smiled. “It’s lovely. So uh… a picture for Dorian then. Right. Hold up your hand.”_
> 
> _“All right. Andraste’s grace, he is going to kill us.” She held up her left hand and adopted a thrilled, nervous smile._
> 
> _He took the picture, glanced at it on his phone screen, and smiled for a few seconds. After a beat, he laughed. “Uh, yes, he’s definitely going to kill us. If I disappear suddenly one day, it’s because I’ve quit teaching and run away - I’ll be hiding in South Reach if you need me.”_
> 
> _“Oh, sure, leave me to face the music teacher alone.” She removed the ring, her expression a little wistful, and surrendered it._
> 
> _“You’re his Cinderella, you’ll be fine.” He took the ring and tucked it away with the strangest feeling that Branson would not ever be getting this thing. “So, let me send you the photo to send to Dorian. Then I guess we kill a bit of time and send our follow up photo.”_
> 
> _“Oh, right! Give that back, I need to be wearing both rings in the follow up picture!”_
> 
> _He chuckled slightly and opened the box back up with a playful glimmer in his eyes. “Evangeline Trevelyan, will you fake marry me?”_
> 
> _That stung a little, which she hadn’t expected, but she smiled and nodded. “Indeed I will. For all of ten minutes or so, at least.”_
> 
> _“We can at least be fake married until we go back to Skyhold and the jig is up,” He slid the ring back on her finger - and the whole thing just felt a bit uncanny, maybe a bit too perfect or something. He gave himself a bit of a shake and forced a smile. “So, what now? How exactly do we stage the next part of this?”_
> 
> _“If I may?” the jeweler interjected, evidently having too much fun. “There’s a little chapel across the street - I can draw up a fake marriage license on the computer here, you two sign it, and we’ll take your picture on the steps of the chapel. I think I can even scrounge up some fake flowers for a bouquet.”_
> 
> _“That would… that would be just the thing we need, actually.” Cullen smiled. “Thank you for your help, we appreciate it.”_
> 
> _“Always did want a part in one of that rascal Tethras’s stories - might be my only chance! Here, write down your full names for me so I spell everything right.”_

Dorian was forced to pause by the tides of laughter which rolled through the room. Blackwall had his head on the table and was pounding the wooden surface with his fist. Evvy had covered her face with both hands, shaking with uncontrolled giggles, and Varric was on the verge of tipping out of his chair.

“These kids are brilliant,” he managed. “This is too much. I’m almost sorry this isn’t how it went down, I could have cribbed it for my next book.”

Cass was wiping moisture from her eyes as she guffawed. “They have your voice down to a science, Cullen,” she managed at last, giving the history professor’s arm a playful swat. He was also laughing hysterically and just sort of shrugged as if to acknowledge the truth of the statement.

“I can’t wait to see how I react.” Dorian chuckled.

 

> _Still smiling, Cullen wrote down his name and passed the pen to Evvy. “Anything from Dorian yet or did we make him faint from shock?”_
> 
> _“Oh, hang on, apparently I didn’t hit send.” She did so, then wrote her name and read his. “Your full name sounds like a poet or something.”_
> 
> _“Oh, thank you. It’s a shame that such a poetic name is wasted on someone who couldn’t write a poem if his life depended on it.” He smiled and read her name as well. “I didn’t know your middle name was Rose. ‘Evangeline Rose Trevelyan’ - that’s beautiful. It sounds royal.”_
> 
> _“Thank you.” She blushed. “Well, we_ are _aristocracy. I’m actually named after an old Orlesian ballad, ‘Ma Belle Evangeline.’”_
> 
> _“Ah, really? How nice. That’s a beautiful song too.”_ I should look those lyrics up in full… she did want to hear me sing after all…
> 
> _“Beautiful and romantic. My mother’s a sentimentalist at heart… I’m surprised you know it, actually, it’s not commonly heard these days.”_
> 
> _“If anyone you know would be familiar with it, who else would it be?” He smiled. “I actually encountered it while researching old Orlesian compositions for a lesson plan - you know, songs like ‘Empress of Fire’, a few poems, and so on. I found ‘Ma Belle Evangeline’ by accident, but it was a very happy accident indeed.”_
> 
> _She smiled and blushed harder, because the way he said it made her think he didn’t just mean the song; the jeweler smirked a little but said nothing. “Oh, there’s my phone…” she said suddenly. “Dorian’s gotten the picture, let’s see…”_
> 
> **_All right, this is a joke, isn’t it?_ ** _Read the text. **Surely you’re joking. He can’t have proposed to you on the first date after months of running away. Right?”** _
> 
> _She laughed and showed Cullen the message. “He’s onto us…”_
> 
> _“Well, we’ll just have to do something to convince him it’s not a joke. Any ideas? Other than the picture at the chapel, of course,” he added with a chuckle._
> 
> _“Well, this’ll help.” said the jeweler, brandishing the completed form. “Let’s make this nice and proper. Do you swear before the Maker and Holy Andraste to love this woman until the end of this prank?”_
> 
> _Cullen turned a bit red, but laughed merrily, glancing at Evvy. “I do.”_
> 
> _“And do you swear before the Maker and Holy Andraste to love this man until the end of this prank?”_
> 
> _“I - I do.”_
> 
> _“Then as far as I’m concerned, you’re married. Do the thing.”_
> 
> _There was a few seconds of silent inaction before Cullen took the cue. “O-Oh. Oh! Right, of course. Like a wedding.” He turned and kissed Evvy gently._
> 
> _There was a pause and then the jeweler cleared his throat. “That’s real sweet, kids, but I meant sign the paper.”_

 

Again, the whole thing was brought to a screeching halt by the absolute torrent of laughter filling the room, louder than ever. “Oh Maker. Oh Andraste,” Evvy managed.

“That is… exactly… what would happen in that situation,” gasped Josephine.

Cullen was hiding behind his hands, but was nevertheless laughing deeply, his shoulders shaking as he did so. He looked up at last. “Yes, you’re right, Josie. I imagine it would be just like that.” He smiled shyly.

  

> _Cullen turned very red at that and took the pen to sign the form before clearing his throat and passing the pen down to Evvy. She was also blushing hard as she signed the document._
> 
> _The jeweler stamped and sealed it. “Okay, let’s process the ring sale and then we’ll go take your chapel picture. I need to close up.”_
> 
> _“Ab-absolutely,” Cullen stammered, fumbling for his wallet a bit. “And thank you again for helping with this. I hope we haven’t put you through too much trouble.”_
> 
> _“Not at all! This has been a treat, actually, it was a pretty dead night before you two showed up.”_
> 
> _With the rings purchased, the jeweler locked the door and went with them to the chapel, where Cullen and Evvy took a picture kissing on the steps; Evvy held the license, Cullen held up his left hand to show off the ring._
> 
> _“Too bad we don’t have one of those ‘Just Married’ signs,” he said, laughing deeply. “Is it wrong of me to say that I’m actually really enjoying this? Does it make me a terrible person that I’m deriving that much joy from pulling the wool over our friends’ eyes?”_
> 
> _“If this is wrong, I kinda don’t want to be right,” she quipped, sending the picture to Dorian. “And now we wait… thank you again, sir.”_
> 
> _The jeweler looked immensely pleased with this whole thing and perhaps a bit mischievous. “Of course, of course. I do hope you’ll come back in a few days and tell me how your colleagues react.”_
> 
> _“That sounds fair,” she said. They bade him a good night and walked down the street, both a little stunned. “So… now what?”_
> 
> _“Well, I know anything is probably a bit anticlimactic after that, but we did mention ice cream earlier. Still want to go through with that part of the plan?” Cullen shrugged._
> 
> _“I’d like that. Um. Gotta say, I’m curious to see what you do for a second date.”_
> 
> _“Unfortunately, after tonight, there’s probably nowhere to go but down.” He chuckled. “But hopefully dinner and a movie will suffice. Or, if you don’t want to do dinner, I’m sure we can come up with something else.”_
> 
> _“Dinner and a movie - it’s hard to beat the classics. Maybe we can sneak in a bookstore visit while we’re out and about,” Evvy suggested._
> 
> _“We can_ always _sneak a bookstore visit as far as I’m concerned.” He grinned. “Find a museum for us to tour, even better.”_
> 
> _“Oh, you and I are going to have a marvelous time…” She returned his grin. Suddenly, there was a low buzzing. “Oh. My phone’s going off… time to face the music. Teacher.” She looked apprehensively at the display._
> 
> _There were multiple texts this time:_
> 
> **_NO._ **
> 
> **_Glorious Andraste, what did you do?_ **
> 
> **_WHAT DID YOU DO?_ **
> 
> _And then the attempts at calling her began._

 

“Well,” said Varric, still chortling, “you were wondering how you’d react, Sparkler. There you go.”

Dorian paused, contemplating. “I… that… no, I would probably do something very similar if you two had eloped and left me out of it,” he conceded, then glanced around the room at the laughing teachers. “Don’t laugh, my distress is not funny - even if it _is_ just in a story, my distress is never funny.”

“I’m sure story-me would not be so cruel as to leave you in distress for long,” Evvy said soothingly. “And the only way I would have eloped for real would be if you came along.”

“Well, thank goodness you two are married and I never have to find out if that promise is true or not,” he teased, looking placated. “But if you had done such a thing without including me, I can guarantee I would have unleashed holy terror on you.”

“I’m somewhat convinced you’ll do that in story form,” she replied. “Let’s find out.”

 

> _Slightly panicked, Evvy shoved the phone at Cullen. “You answer it!”_
> 
> _Cullen’s eyes went wide. “I don’t want to answer it! What would I even say?”_
> 
> _“I don’t know what to say either…” She quickly turned off the phone, then snorted. “It’s our wedding night. We could say we were busy.”_
> 
> _He nearly spluttered, then started laughing as well. Suddenly, his phone began going off too - evidently, Dorian had changed tactics and was beginning to text Cullen, who winced and read one of the texts aloud. “‘Cullen Stanton Rutherford, you are a dead man’. Okay, I think my phone should probably get turned off too. Hopefully he doesn’t take a cab down here and drag us home by our earlobes.”_
> 
> _“We should find a place to hide. Get a hotel room?” she said, clearly teasing._
> 
> _He laughed, but then pondered for a moment. “Actually… it might not be a bad idea. Not only will we not have to go back and face the inquisition tonight, but it will really sell the prank. Although I am worried we might actually send Dorian to the hospital if those texts are any indicator.”_
> 
> _She nodded thoughtfully, then decided to answer Dorian. **I’ll explain in the morning. We’ll be back for breakfast. Love you, Fairy Godfather.** She sent it and turned the phone back off. “Okay, let’s go get that room.”_
> 
> _“That should pacify him long enough. Maybe,” he said as they began to walk through Redcliffe in search of a suitable hotel. “One thing’s for sure - I certainly surprised them with my absence.”_
> 
> _“No doubt. There, that looks like a good place.” She pointed, then stopped to glance at him. “Look, I… I just wanted to say that… I can’t think of anybody I’d rather be temporarily fake-married to. This is easily the craziest thing I’ve ever done and I’m loving it so much.”_
> 
> _Cullen beamed widely. “I agree on all points. I’m having a wonderful time - and I was even before this prank, amazing though it may be. I just… I just really enjoy spending time with you, Evvy.”_
> 
> _“I feel the same way about you, Cullen. I’ve always loved spending time with you… I’m just glad you aren’t running anymore.”_
> 
> _His smile was very soft and very grateful. “I’m so sorry I ran for as long as I did. But I promise I’m done with that. We can… we can spend as much time together as you want.”_
> 
> _“Oh, sweetheart, you are opening a can of worms there… you’ll get sick of me before the weekend is over.” She grinned teasingly._
> 
> _He returned her smile. “Not if you get sick of me first,” he said, then leaned in to kiss her._
> 
> _Evvy didn’t know it, but she looked a little intoxicated after every kiss. “Um. So… we get the room… order ice cream from room service… maybe you can read me some Genitivi until we fall asleep? I know you have your pocket Genitivi with you - you always do,” she said at last._
> 
> _“That all sounds absolutely perfect, I - wait, you’ve noticed I have a pocket copy of_ Walking the Earth _? That’s... sweet of you.”_
> 
> _“Cullen, if you knew just how much I’ve observed about you in the last three months, you’d probably accuse me of stalking you.”_
> 
> _“Oh, really?” He laughed. “And what have you observed?”_
> 
> _“Let’s get the room first…”_
> 
> _They did so, and were soon ensconced in a small comfortable suite with ice cream. Evvy kicked off her high heels. “Okay, prepare to be uncomfortable,” she said. “I know you’ve got a sweet tooth and you really love blueberries. You love dogs. You’re sometimes a little hurt when Varric and Dorian make fun of your ties. You wear a cologne or use a moisturizer or something with herbs in it. You know most of the Chant by heart. You take your coffee with two creams and one sugar. You get a little smile on your face when you read history. You don’t like Michel very much but I haven’t worked out why. And you’d do just about anything for your siblings, your students, or your friends, even if it cost you your life.” She took a breath and put ice cream in her mouth, blushing._ He must think I’m nuts _._

 

“Wait a moment, wait a moment, wait a moment,” Cullen interrupted. His eyes were wide but he was laughing uproariously. “That’s all true. How do they know all that?”

“Like I said, I think they run your secret fan club,” Varric wheezed. “They probably have a special notebook or computer database for documenting things they notice about you.”

“That… that could explain so much, actually,” he admitted, laughing anew

“I wonder if they’d share it with me,” Evvy joked. “I could give them some secret intel.”

“I’m a little afraid of what might be on that list.” Cullen winced comically. “I don’t think I want to know…”

“Well, I do!” Dorian chirped, his eyes glinting before he turned back to the story.

 

> _For several seconds, he merely stared at her and blinked, but the look in his eyes was not one that said_ I think you’re insane _but rather one that said_ that was incredible and you’re incredible for noticing all that _. “Wow,” he finally managed. “That was… wow. I’m insanely flattered that you noticed all of those things. And they’re all spot on. It’s all true, especially that I would do anything for those closest to me. But to add to one thing on your list, it’s not that I dislike Michel, it’s that I was…” He lowered his voice slightly. “...a bit jealous of him, actually.” Now it was his turn to silence himself with ice cream._
> 
> _“Jealous of him? Why?” With a teasing smile, she added, “Because some of your fangirls defected to his camp?”_
> 
> _He blushed at that. “I do not have_ fangirls _,” he said with a weak laugh. “No, I uh… I was jealous because I thought he might be… interested in you.” He hated even admitting it aloud, it felt petty, and yet…_
> 
> _“Ohhh.” She paused and her eyes widened as her mind caught up with itself. “Wait,_ what _??”_
> 
> _He nodded, still a bit embarrassed. “When he first arrived, he just seemed so… I don’t know exactly. So completely put together, and I was so… well, not. And he seemed very friendly to you in particular and it just set something off in my brain. I feel terrible about it, but it’s true.”_

 

Dorian paused his reading and they all looked at Cullen. “Well, we all know that’s accurate,” Varric said, smirking.

Cullen flushed his trademark vermilion color, a shade that had not often been seen now that he and Evvy were happily married. “I… well… I… holy Maker and Andraste, Jim and Rory are _observant_.” He seemed shocked, embarrassed, and a bit impressed in equal measure.

“Well, as we mentioned a few weeks ago, Rory was in Evvy’s class when our delightfully diabolical headmistress sent Michel to play messenger boy,” said Dorian with a chuckle. “She must have put the pieces together.”

Leliana shrugged innocently, but her eyes were glinting. “I wanted to see what would happen when he went. It was… interesting.”

“I wish I had known that at the time - I would have compared notes with you,” Dorian added.

“Me too!” Varric said.

“I do hope you don’t mean _actual_ notes,” Cullen raised an eyebrow.

“You’ll never know, Curly. You’ll never know.”

 

> _“I… I hardly know what to say. Why didn’t you… say anything? Make a move? Show me where you stood?”_
> 
> _“I was… too nervous, I suppose,” he admitted. “I was terrified you wouldn’t… want me. I know it sounds ridiculous now, but it… it was a big concern for me. It’s why I spent so much time running away.”_
> 
> _“I… oh. I thought… I thought maybe I was coming on too strong… that you were trying to… let me down gently.” She laughed awkwardly, slightly bitterly even. “We both managed to completely misunderstand each other.”_
> 
> _“I - I’m sorry, Evvy. I never meant to hurt you. I never thought I deserved you - or, more specifically, I thought you deserved better than me. But that was my fault, not yours.”_
> 
> _“If there_ is _better than you, Cullen, I’ve never found it. And that probably sounds insane… we’ve only known each other a few months. But it’s still true. You’re one of the finest people I’ve ever met. I mean it.”_
> 
> _If he smiled any wider, his face would probably crack. “And I could say the same thing about you, Ev. You have an amazing ability to see the best in people no matter what. You’re kind, brilliant, talented, funny… you’re everything I always wanted and thought I couldn’t have.”_
> 
> _She blushed, then started to laugh. “And yet all it took for me to marry you was a prank!” She covered her mouth with one hand, giggling helplessly._
> 
> _“That is true, isn’t it?” he said with a smile. He caught hold of her other hand and kissed it tenderly._
> 
> _After a moment, she calmed down and looked at him seriously. “So… No more of that, okay? I mean, you’re certainly welcome to think I’m everything you always wanted, but no more thinking you can’t have it. Er, me. I’m here.”_
> 
> _“You are. You are here. I can hardly believe it, but thank the Maker, it’s true. I promise I’m done doubting.”_
> 
> _“And… I promise I am too,” Evvy replied. “I didn’t think I could be what you wanted either, but… any guy willing to do a stunt like this… not to mention the other things we talked about… I have to believe I was wrong.”_
> 
> _“Well, like I said earlier, this has been amazing. This has been one of the best evenings I’ve had in recent memory. Or… maybe ever. It’s been awhile since I’ve felt this… content.”_
> 
> _She nodded and, impulsively, caught his face in her hands and kissed him. “So… you wanted to read?”_
> 
> _The kiss left him dazed, but in the best possible way. After a moment, he came back down to earth. “Ah, yes. Right,” He pulled out his book and got settled, clearing his throat. “Any requests on where I start?”_
> 
> _“Nope. Pick something you really like,” she said, likewise settling down on the bed and curling up on the pillows._
> 
> _“Something I really like?” He nodded and began reading the chapter on the Free Marches -_ after all _, he thought,_ I really like her so where better to read about than her home?
> 
> _She read between the lines and was genuinely touched; his voice was soothing and the words were lyrical and she started drifting off. He got a bit further before he glanced down and realized she was very nearly asleep; he hesitated a moment, then decided to finish the chapter, his voice hardly more than a whisper so as not to disturb her and hopefully to lull her further. She smiled a sweet, sleepy smile and shifted over so she was very close to him before she fell asleep completely; it later turned out to be the best night’s sleep she could remember having in years._
> 
> _After a few minutes, Cullen quietly tested to see if she was awake by whispering her name. When she didn’t respond, he risked gathering her a little closer and pressed a clandestine kiss to the top of her head. The entire scene felt so perfect he could scarcely drink it in. Eventually, he too fell into an extremely restful, peaceful sleep._

 

Dorian paused at the little break, taking a sip of coffee to moisten his throat. “This is… all very precious, actually,” he admitted, then grinned. “At least until they go back to Skyhold and are faced with my wrath.”

“Rory and Jim were probably the two biggest ‘shippers’ of Cullen and Evvy in the whole school, to judge by what I overheard during some of my classes,” said Cass, grinning. “That said, it’s still impressive.”

“No, what’s _really_ impressive is that they didn’t change the names or anything,” said Varric. “They just bold-faced handed the story in as is.”

“Probably because they knew we were ‘shipping’ it just as much,” Josie giggled.

“Probably. Well, Sparkler, I’m dying to see you unleash your wrath at Curly, don’t hold back.”

Cullen pretended to flinch as Dorian levelled him with a mock glare. This elicited another round of laughter before Dorian plowed on.

 

> _Evvy awoke in the morning to find herself snuggled in Cullen’s arms, and wondered if she was still dreaming. As far as she could tell, though, she was awake and this was real. It was still quite early, and she didn’t want to disturb him, so she took his book and started reading to herself._
> 
> _Cullen slept for a while longer - he was a naturally early riser, but today it was like his body was greedily drinking in some of the most undisturbed sleep he had had in a while. When at last he did open his eyes, it was with a slight air of confusion. “Ev …?” he asked drowsily, and then it all came back to him. “Oh, right. Well, good morning.”_
> 
> _“Good morning, my soon-to-be-former husband.” She smiled. “I didn’t want to wake you, so I was just reading to myself about the Korcari Wilds. This is easily one of Genitivi’s best descriptions of anything… ‘treacherous labyrinth of iced-over waterways’ comes across like poetry.”_
> 
> _There was something about the lilt of her voice over those words that hit his ears like an otherworldly song. “That - that’s always been a favorite of mine too. Hearing_ you _read it, though… it’s a bit magical.”_
> 
> _“Is that so?” She smirked and repeated the line, drawing out the syllables. “Treacherous… labyrinth… of iced… over… waterways.”_
> 
> Glorious Maker and Andraste it is too early in the morning for this I can’t... _“Ahh, I… that… I don’t know what to say. Except maybe that I’m going to find some way of getting you back. Maybe I’ll sing ‘Ma Belle Evangeline’ or something.”_

 

Once again Dorian was interrupted by resounding laughter, though he himself could hardly contain it. “Oh, Ev, do let us hear you say that line,” Josie pleaded.

“Er… all right.” She looked amused. “A treacherous labyrinth of iced-over waterways?”

Cullen’s reaction was so on par with what had been written in the story, it was almost a bit uncanny. His eyes went wide and he gazed at his wife as if he had never seen her before. “Uh… Maker’s breath…” he managed at last, looking completely dazed.

“Now how could they have known he’d be bowled over by ‘iced-over waterways’?” Evvy asked, baffled and a little pink. “Even _I_ didn’t know that!”

“I’m starting to think these two know _everything_ ,” Dorian said, looking amused in the extreme.

“Let’s just try to finish the story,” said Evvy, embarrassed.

 

> _“I will not be held responsible for my actions if you do.” She lifted her eyebrows meaningfully._
> 
> _“Duty noted,” he fired back, his tone almost mischievous. “I’m very tempted to turn on my phone and look up the lyrics right now, but I’m almost afraid of the inevitable bevy of texts I will find there when I do.”_
> 
> _“We should head back anyway… I did say we’d be home before breakfast…” She said; she was a little sad that this had to end._
> 
> _“Ah, right, yes. Let me grab a quick shower and then I’m ready to go back to reality, I suppose,” he said and smiled. “Although do let me know if you want to be my pretend wife again any time soon.”_
> 
> _“Any time, dear. Let me get cleaned up a bit before we go, I’m a fright in the mornings.”_
> 
> _He smiled warmly as he got out of bed. “You’re not, but all right.”_
> 
> _Pleased, she shuffled off to the bathroom; half an hour later, she was presentable and had procured him some coffee while he showered. “Figured you might need this before facing the gauntlet.”_
> 
> _“Oh, isn’t that kind of you? Thank you.” He sipped and of course found it was perfect. “What about you - can I get you some hot chocolate or something before we go back?”_
> 
> _“Honestly, I’m a bit too on edge to drink. I’ll have something once we’ve ‘fessed up and Dorian knows I didn’t have a wedding without him.”_
> 
> _“I quite understand. This coffee might be my last meal. Which would probably be a fitting end for me, actually,” he said with a smile, hoping to soothe her a little._
> 
> _“I said I’d protect you and I will. It was my silly idea, after all. It’s been fun, though. Best marriage I’ve ever had.” She winked. “Let’s head out.”_
> 
> _“I agree.” He flashed an impish grin. “Lead on, my darling almost-former wife.”_
> 
> _She swallowed the pang this gave her and, within the hour, they were back at Skyhold. “Dorian’s probably in the staff room… I hope he didn’t keep anyone else up all night. Well… it’s been nice knowing you.” She smiled wryly and opened the door._
> 
> _As the door creaked open, Dorian, who had been pacing the space with his arms crossed over his chest, turned towards where Cullen and Evvy stood with a bird-of-prey-like quickness. “Ah, speaking of whom! Were your ears burning? I was just talking about you. And where, pray tell, were you both? What happened? What were you thinking?” He looked from one to the other with blazing eyes, his questions rapid-fire._
> 
> _“We were thinking that… that it would be a hilarious prank to make you think we eloped on the first date. It was my idea, don’t kill him.” Evvy smiled ruefully. “It was all an elaborate stunt, Dori.”_
> 
> _For perhaps the first time in his life, Dorian Pavus was actually speechless. He merely stared at them, his eyes wide and his gaze shifting back and forth between Evvy and Cullen, who nodded a bit and shrugged almost apologetically. This went on for several seconds before Cass, who had been heretofore sitting in the corner, burst out laughing. Some of the others joined in._

 

Just as in the story, it was Cassandra who began laughing first. Cullen followed suit, evidently laughing at the reaction story-Dorian had to seeing the “newlyweds” return.

“Well, I’m glad everyone took it so well,” said Evvy, chuckling. “My poor Fairy Godfather.”

Dorian laughed and patted the pages in his hand. “You know, they’re not wrong. I probably _would_ have stayed up all night fretting.”

“At least he didn’t kill me,” Cullen offered. “That’s something.”

“Yet.” Solas smiled into his cup of decaf tea.

“Good point!” Cullen said with a nervous laugh. “I might not survive this next part…”

“Let’s find out,” said Josie. “I’m dying to know.”

 

> _“Oh, Varric,” Evvy continued. “The jeweler who helped us out said he knows you from the merchants’ guild. Look, he made us a phony marriage license and everything.” She passed him the document and then went to hug Dorian. “I’m sorry, please don’t be mad. I promise I would never get married for real without you.”_
> 
> _He immediately softened at that and returned the hug. “Yes, yes, all right. How can I stay mad at my Cinderella, after all? I hope you at least got a nice ring for your troubles.”_
> 
> _“Loaner basis only, I’m afraid. Cullen bought the set for his brother, who’s planning to propose to his girlfriend sometime soon. Speaking of which, Cullen, here.” She handed over the wedding jewels._
> 
> _“T-thank you.” He stowed them carefully, feeling a bit sad to not see them on her finger, where they had looked so perfect. With a touch of reluctance, he took his own wedding band off and fingered it a moment before it went into his pocket too. “The jeweler was certainly very willing to help - and he didn’t think we were_ too _crazy, so that’s something.”_
> 
> _“Yeah, about that…” Varric’s voice cut in. He was peering at the license in something akin to shock. “Curly… Siren… I don’t know how to tell you this, but this fake license of yours… it’s not fake.”_

 

“I knew it!” cried several listeners.

“Andraste preserve me,” Cullen said, laughing so hard he could barely speak. “‘Accidentally in Matrimony’ indeed.”

Dorian and Cass were in a similar state, with Dorian nearly doubled over in his chair. Blackwall was almost weeping from laughing so hard. “I’m just… picturing… the looks on your faces,” he gasped.

“Siren needs to draw this,” Varric chortled. “Fanart of this fanfiction!”

“Oh, yes! You absolutely should!” Cass managed at last. “The kids would be thrilled, I think.”

“There would be so much squealing,” Dorian predicted, laughing all over again as he did so.

 

> _Cullen’s brow knit in confusion. “What are you talking about? He specifically printed it out for us so we could have it as a prop. You know, for that photo we took.”_
> 
> _“I believe you. Here’s the thing, though. Old Andrin is actually deputized by the Chantry to issue legit marriage licenses, and… he did. See the seal, and the stamp?” He pointed. “Either he didn’t buy that you were just playing a joke, or he put those on out of force of habit. Either way, you kids are legally hitched.”_
> 
> “What? _Let me see that,” Cullen took the license back and stared at it for a second, his eyes wide as he glanced from the paper back up to the assembled staff. Dorian had gone back to narrowing his eyes and the others, who had been laughing, now looked floored. “Evvy, he’s right, this is… we’re…”_
> 
> _She took the document and read it several times. “Oh, Maker. Oh, Andraste. I… I never intended…” She blushed almost purple, feeling totally miserable. “I’m sorry, I…”_
> 
> _Cullen shook his head. “Don’t be sorry. I agreed to it, it’s not like you forced me. It… it’ll be fine.” He still looked a little shell shocked._
> 
> _“We’ll just… go back… maybe he can undo it or… or something. I… I’m sure… we can fix it…”_ Oh, this is terrible _. And the worst part was that she realized she didn’t entirely want to fix it; she had finally caught the unicorn and she didn’t want to let him go again, but she had to - it would be wrong to keep him like this._
> 
> _Cullen had frozen, obviously mulling everything over, wishing they didn’t really have an audience for this. Much to his surprise, he found the idea of being married to Evvy was a lot less terrifying than he would have imagined - in fact, as with many things from the previous day - it felt incredibly right - and the idea of annulling the marriage, even if it was an accident, seemed wrong. “C-certainly. Of course we can, if you want.”_ Of course she wants, idiot. She likes you, she doesn’t like you THAT much.

 

“Pfffffft.” This from Varric. “Oh, this is too much. The story version of you two is even more mutually-piney than the real thing.”

“‘Of course we can, _if you want_ ,’” Dorian repeated, mimicking Cullen with a laugh.

“I can actually hear all this dialogue in your voices,” Josie added with a sweet smile.

“So can I,” Evvy admitted, “and it’s more than a little unsettling. What do you think, dear?”

Cullen’s cheeks were tinged a bit red, but he was smiling brightly. “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,” he suggested. “I think the same can be said of being imported into fanfiction. Especially since this is probably just how I would react if we had been accidentally married - although I’m glad it happened on purpose in real life.”

She laughed. “Me too. I wouldn’t have missed that wedding for anything. But this is cute. Well, Fairy Godfather, tell us how it ends.”

“Let’s see… do they stay married? Knowing Jim and Rory, I think I can safely predict the outcome.” He chuckled, cleared his throat, and continued.

 

> _The whole staff room was silent, with Cullen’s words hanging in the air and Evvy uncertain how to interpret them._ What does “if you want” mean? _“Right. Okay. I… need to change… I’ll see you all a bit later.” She stumbled almost blindly out of the room, her head spinning a bit, and she went not to her own room but out on the battlements to try to clear her thoughts._
> 
> _“O-okay,” Cullen watched her go, looking a little pained. He felt oddly guilty, as if this was his fault - which of course it wasn’t, but he still felt inexplicably to blame. He took a step forward as if wanting to follow her, but uncertain if he should._
> 
> _Dorian placed a hand on his shoulder. “Let me talk to her first, see where her thoughts are. You just stay here and calm yourself down, have a cup of coffee or something.”_
> 
> _Cullen nodded dimly, letting Cass put an arm around his shoulder and bundle him off so she could talk to him privately as Dorian departed._
> 
> _Evvy, meanwhile, was staring out at the morning, feeling guilty and angry with herself. She never should have suggested the prank; now she’d embarrassed him in front of their colleagues and the whole thing was so utterly ridiculous. Never mind the fact that her parents were going to have a fit… that was the least of her concerns, actually, a fact which dimly amused her. She was mostly worried about Cullen and the impact this would have on their fledgling relationship._
> 
> _Dorian arrived on the battlements a few minutes later and his heart ached a bit for his Cinderella - she looked almost like a lost child at that moment. He cleared his throat slightly to herald his arrival and held out his arms as he approached. “All right, talk to me. Tell me what’s going through your mind.”_
> 
> _She immediately buried herself in his embrace. “I did it, Dorian. I finally caught the unicorn. With a golden leash and everything. And now I have to let him go again because this isn’t right. It was just supposed to be a joke… I didn’t mean to trap him this way. I’m so mad at myself,” she murmured._
> 
> _He studied her for a second. “Well, there are simple enough ways of fixing this… if you want.” He gave her a pointed glance._
> 
> _“That’s… the other problem. I don’t want. I finally have him, and - oh, Maker, Dori, some of the things he said… I will talk your ear off with the details and there will be gushing. So no, I don’t want. But it’s not fair to him. This is way more than he signed on for.”_
> 
> _“My dear…” he began. “Have you considered the possibility that maybe he doesn’t want to ‘fix this’ either?”_
> 
> _“That seems a bit too much to ask,” she replied._
> 
> _“Maybe, but maybe not. He did go along with the prank in the first place, after all. It sounds like he thought marrying you was a wonderful idea - even if it was for a joke. You should at least talk to him. He wanted to come find you, but I said I should chat with you first.”_
> 
> _“He just wanted to shock all of you and we thought this would be a funny way to do it. The most I’ve gotten from him as far as actual commitment is a movie date next Saturday. I really doubt he wants this_ now _\- eventually, maybe, but not now.” She sighed. “I’ll talk to him.”_
> 
> _“Oh, I don’t know, have a little faith. He seemed very reluctant to take that wedding band off, after all.” Dorian offered her a small smile._
> 
> _She returned it faintly. “You really shouldn’t encourage me, you know. But all right. A shower first, and some clean clothes… then I’ll talk to him.”_
> 
> _He gave her cheek a fond pat. “Good girl. But, if you do stay married, we’re having some sort of ceremony, you know. I will not be robbed of planning at least_ something _to celebrate your nuptials.”_
> 
> _“I’m on board with that.”_

 

“I’m impressed,” Evvy admitted. “That sounds so much like a conversation we would actually have, I’m almost convinced that we did.”

“Quite.” Dorian laughed. “I find myself wondering which student wrote which teachers…”

“We’ll probably never know. I suppose we could try to find out, but… why spoil the fun?”

“That is true.” He shuffled the papers and continued. 

 

> _Meanwhile, Cass was busy putting some coffee into Cullen and getting him to explain everything that happened. “It sounds rather… idyllic, in its way,” she admitted at last. “Terribly romantic.”_
> 
> _In spite of himself, he smiled. “It was, it was nice. It was enjoyable. It felt… good. Oh, Maker, Cass - I’m very out of my depth here.”_
> 
> _“Just be honest with me - and with yourself. Do you want to end this?”_
> 
> _“I…” He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Not really, no. Last night was the first time in a very long time that everything just… made sense. And I can’t really imagine giving it up.”_
> 
> _“You love her,” Cass said. It wasn’t a question._
> 
> _He was a little shocked there wasn’t more resistance in his mind - but then again, maybe not as shocked as he should have been. “I do,” he replied. “I love her.”_
> 
> _“Then I think you know what you need to do with those rings. And I don’t mean giving them to your brother.”_
> 
> _“Oh, but Cass, it was all just supposed to be a joke - we just wanted to rile Dorian up a bit, maybe make the rest of you laugh. We never intended it to go this far. What if… what if she doesn’t want to do this?” His voice trembled a bit._
> 
> _“You won’t know unless you talk to her. But maybe the Maker did this to make it easier for you - you’ve been struggling for about as long as she’s been here. This could be the best thing for both of you, if you let it.”_
> 
> _“Maybe. Maybe you’re right.” He smiled. “I… I’ll talk to her. I’ll_ _be perfectly honest with her - she deserves that much, at least. I’ll just go make myself presentable and find her. Thank you, Cass.”_
> 
> _“Good luck, Cullen.” She meant it, and her smile made that clear._

 

Now it was Cullen’s turn to be impressed. “And that sounds like a conversation I would have had with Cass. That was… really quite sweet, actually.”

“I would have been sterner with you,” she objected, smiling.

“Well, yes, that’s probably true,” he admitted with a laugh. “I can always count on you to tell me when I’m being dense, after all,” he added teasingly.

“Someone has to do it.”

“You _all_ do it!” he protested, still grinning.

“That’s because there is a lot of stupidity that needs to be pointed out,” Dorian replied with a smirk, but despite the teasing nature of the remark, the tone was fond.

“More like a lot of self-doubt which needed to be banished,” said Evvy, loyally. “Which I trust it has been.”

“Oh, Maker, yes,” Cullen promised, reaching out to squeeze her hand. “Thanks to you, darling.”

She gave him a sweet smile. “All right, let’s finish this, shall we? If you would, Dorian.”

“We shall.” He grinned, taking another sip of coffee. “This has been quite enjoyable, can’t wait to see how it ends…” 

 

> _He smiled back, grateful for her help, and dashed off to his room to change. He was nervous and a bit self-conscious, but he had promised Evvy the previous night that he wouldn’t doubt and he wouldn’t run away, so he steeled himself, grabbed the rings, and set off in search of her._
> 
> _She was in her own room, having just showered, and was wearing a robe and combing her wet hair. When she heard the knock, she guessed it was Dorian or maybe Cass, and opened it without thinking. “Oh! C-Cullen. I, uh… I was… um. Please, come in, I’ll make myself… presentable.” She backed up to let him in the room, blushing horribly._
> 
> _“Oh. I can … I can come back, if this isn’t a good time.” He felt a bit guilty, like he had caught her off-guard._
> 
> _“It’s fine, I… was going to come and find you when I was dressed. You just… saved me the search.” She ducked into her walk-in closet, leaving the door ajar; maybe this would go more easily if they couldn’t see each other. “Uh. First. I’m really… really sorry… to have, well, trapped you like this.”_
> 
> _“You don’t have to be sorry, Evvy. It was an honest mistake. And I… well, that’s the thing. I’m not even sure if I can really say it_ was _a mistake.”_
> 
> _There was a pause, and then… “Neither am I. What if… what if it wasn’t?”_
> 
> _“I’m beginning to think something rather similar myself. Cass made a very interesting comment to me a little while ago - what if it happened this way because we were both struggling so much? Well, because_ I _was struggling, more like. But what if… what if this is exactly what needed to happen?”_
> 
> _“Just tell me one thing...” Her tone was only faintly desperate. “What do you want?”_
> 
> _He took a deep breath._ Here goes nothing… and everything _. “I want this. I want you. I… I didn’t say anything last night because I assumed you’d probably think I was insane, but I… I love you.”_

 

“Awwwwwwww!” There was no further commentary, however.

 

> _There was a stunned silence, and then she emerged, fully dressed and wide-eyed “Well, then… thank the Maker, it’s not just me,” She gave an embarrassed laugh. “You know, we may need to… pace this a little. But I'm okay with… with keeping those rings in the meantime. I want this too. You.”_
> 
> _The look of relief and joy on his face was beyond compare as he smiled at her. “We can pace this as much as you want. I’m just… I’m just glad to hear I haven’t lost you.”_
> 
> _“I’ll write to my parents… tell them about you… but I’ll defer the news of my elopement for a while.” She laughed slightly._
> 
> _He did likewise, then pulled the rings out of his pocket. “Well, come here, then - I believe I have something that belongs to you.”_
> 
> _She moved to his side, blushing furiously. He couldn’t stop smiling, especially since he had prepared one more thing before he came to find her. Taking another deep breath, he began to sing softly._ “Look how she lights up the sky, ma belle Evangeline. So far above me yet I know her heart belongs to only me. Je t’adore, je t’aime Evangeline”.
> 
> _There were tears in her eyes now. “Yeah, I…_ je t’adore _you too. Oh, Maker, you_ do _sing beautifully.”_
> 
> _He chuckled a bit and took both of her hands, pressing his lips to them. “I know this started out as a joke, but the way I feel about you is very, very real. So, uh… Evangeline Rose Trevelyan, will you please stay married to me?” He grinned almost impishly._
> 
> _She laughed, because really, the man was too adorable. “Yes, Cullen Stanton Rutherford, I will.”_
> 
> _He returned her laugh and slipped both engagement ring and wedding band on her finger, before putting his own wedding band back on. It felt like it belonged there. Still smiling and holding her hands, he finished the song, ending softly with,_ “...Look how she lights up the sky. I love you, Evangeline.”
> 
> _“I love you too. Well… husband… what now?”_
> 
> _That still sounded surreal and so very good. “Well, my darling wife, we have the day to ourselves. And there’s no law that says we have to wait until next week for that second date.”_
> 
> Oh Maker, he calls me darling, what is air? _she thought to herself. “True. Well, I think I can safely say… I’m all yours,” she said warmly. “Oh, but first I should… let Dorian know.”_
> 
> _“Oh, yes, right. We should probably let them all know. They’re probably curious, after all,” Cullen agreed._
> 
> _“He told me that if we decided to… stay like this, then he wanted to arrange something proper for us. I’m in favor of letting him.”_
> 
> _“I’m inclined to agree. I already have everything I could have ever wanted, a little celebration would just make that even better.”_
> 
> _“Oh you.” He received a kiss for that one. “Okay, let me just…” She picked up her phone and sent her Fairy Godfather a message -_ **_Cinderella and Prince Charming would like to formally announce that the slipper fits._**
> 
> _Mere seconds later, Dorian texted back_ , **_Oh, my dear, I know this isn’t how anyone would have pictured it happening, but I am so happy for you both. Truly._**
> 
> **_Thank you. And you may plan whatever you think is appropriate. My only question is, do we tell the students? And is Leliana going to be mad?_ **
> 
> **_Knowing Leliana, she probably already knows. As for telling the students - well, they would definitely like to know, I’m sure. It’s up to you whether or not you think you can withstand the squealing._ **
> 
> _She laughed and showed Cullen the message. “What do you think?”_
> 
> _“I think we should tell them. Maybe not right away, but eventually. They’ll want to know that - what is it they always say? Ah, yes. They’ll want to know that their ‘ship became canon’.” Cullen chuckled._
> 
> _“In a few days perhaps. For now, let’s keep it quiet… allow ourselves to get used to the idea,” she said thoughtfully. “So… how do you want to spend the day?”_
> 
> _“As long as I’m with you, I don’t care how we spend the day.” He beamed._
> 
> _“Serious question,” she said. She was pink, but she forced herself to ask. “Should we move? Into the - you know - other housing.”_
> 
> _“Yes, I think we should. Or, at least, we should eventually. We don’t have to rush things now. We have nothing but time.”_
> 
> _“That’s… reasonable. I mean, we can look into it. So… breakfast? It occurs to me that I’m hungry,” she laughed._
> 
> _“Breakfast sounds like a very good place to start,” he agreed cheerfully._
> 
> _Her smile suddenly turned mischievous. “We can see how long it takes the kids to notice your new jewelry - and mine.”_
> 
> _“I love it. I have a feeling they’ll catch on quickly, though.” He laughed._
> 
> _“They are very observant, especially when it comes to their beloved Professor Rutherford. Let’s go see.”_
> 
> _He gave a low chuckle. “Well, I’ll do my best to hide.”_
> 
> _Smiling, he began the trek down to the dining hall and Evvy followed, trying not to look like she was following him. She took her usual place between him and Dorian. “We’re going to see how fast the students pick up on anything unusual… this should be interesting,” she explained to the music teacher._
> 
> _Dorian just chuckled. “You two are almost diabolical. You know these children have eyes like hawks, yes? They’re quite adept at watching you both.”_
> 
> _“Yes, we aren’t really hoping to keep it quiet for long… but it could be fun.”_
> 
> _“Yes, it could be fun,” Cullen echoed with a smile. “And only good things happen when we say that sentence.”_
> 
> _“There’s that. Well… let’s see what happens. Pass the bacon, please.”_
> 
> _He did so, and they all continued through breakfast smirking. Cullen did his utmost to hide his left hand under the table and only use his right hand, but some of the students were nevertheless watching him with a look of confused suspicion that almost caused him to burst out laughing._
> 
> _It was less jarring that Evvy kept her hand out of sight, since that was how she was raised to eat, but occasionally her left hand was employed in raising her napkin and she tried to keep the rings beneath the cloth; like Cullen, it was a strain for her not to laugh at the mutterings she could dimly hear._
> 
> _Dorian, meanwhile, just shook his head. “We are all going to get absolutely peppered with questions on Monday.”_
> 
> _“Probably.” Evvy nodded. “So… what kind of ideas did you have for the celebration?”_
> 
> _“Well, since your wedding was a wild runaway affair in a jewelry store, the celebration will have all the things the wedding couldn’t - we’ll get you a wedding cake, and a dinner, and music. It will be an honest-to-goodness reception.” Dorian grinned._
> 
> _“Best Fairy Godfather ever.”_

 

There was a loud round of applause. “That was adorable. A little embarrassing, perhaps,” Evvy added, “but adorable.”

Cullen was smiling from ear to ear. “That was very, very impressive. It’s been a while since I’ve laughed that hard.”

Varric reclaimed the pages from Dorian and pulled out a red pen. At the top of the first page, he wrote the following:

> _A+. Excellent work._
> 
> _You had the entire staff lounge in stitches._
> 
> _Please write a sequel_.

 

“If they do another one,” he added, “we’ll have another performance. Maybe Curly and Siren could act it out for us.”

Dorian let out a bark of laughter. “Now that would be delightful,” he baited.

Cullen deliberated for a moment, then smiled all the wider. “I think I can agree to that.”

“Sure - why not?” Evvy conceded. “If it’s this cute, count me in.”

“Splendid!” Dorian smirked. “I shall have to give my compliments to Miss Norbertson and Master Scout when next I see them, because that was divine.”


	5. An Announcement at Skyhold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Evvy shares some good news with Cullen and he shares it with the rest of the staff

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After the past few weeks of long "chapters", this one is extremely short, but hopefully sweet. We would like to dedicate this chapter to our reader "Mrsblonde", who has a sixth sense for guessing certain details in our stories. ;) I hope you're not disappointed that only half of your prediction came true in this series. We love you! I hope you all enjoy!

* * *

**An Announcement at Skyhold**

* * *

It was an ordinary afternoon about two weeks later - or at least as ordinary an afternoon as it could be at Skyhold Academy - and Cullen had finished grading his students’ essays on the Orlesian Civil War. It was unseasonably warm, so he thought he would take a walk or go do some reading in the courtyard. There was, after all, an hour until dinner. Maybe he would find Evvy and they could stroll together.

His wife, however, had other ideas. As he was walking through the school, he felt the buzzing of his phone in his pocket. _Darling, we need to talk. Right now, please. Can you come back to the apartment?_

Her text stopped him in his tracks. This seemed important and he found himself wondering what it could possibly be as he turned on his heel to hurry back to married housing. He arrived quickly and popped his head into the apartment. “Hello, my love,” he said, his tone fond and slightly teasing to belay the fact that he was a tad anxious. “I told you you would eventually get sick of me - has that day finally come?”

In spite of herself, she chuckled. “Well, not quite. But I _have_ been sick and it _does_ have something to do with you.” She bit her lip. “Honey, I... I’m pregnant.”

For a moment, he was certain he had misheard her, or perhaps imagined her statement entirely. He stood blinking for several seconds. “You’re...” A slow smile spread across his face and he took a step forward to take her hands. “Darling, oh darling, really?”

“Really really. I took a home test a few days ago and I just got back from seeing the doctor that Madam Giselle recommended.” She grinned. “I didn’t want to say anything until I knew for sure.”

A little breathless laugh escaped him, and grew until he was laughing in complete jubilation. “Oh, Maker,” he finally managed, and embraced her, swaying her back and forth as he did so. “Oh, Maker, Evvy. I can hardly speak.”

“We’ll have to break the news,” she said, smiling fondly. “Cole needs to know before anyone - we have to call our families - and Fairy Godfather will be absolutely insulted if we don’t tell him specially. But we can savor it ourselves for a few minutes. Are you excited?”

He nodded along to each of her statements and at her final question, nodded all the more. “Yes. Oh, yes, more than I can say,” he replied, feeling his eyes growing a bit misty. “A little terrified, but so very excited and overjoyed beyond words.” It wasn’t too terribly long ago that he had been resigned to a life alone, and now his family – the family he didn’t know how much he needed until he had them - was growing. “Maybe it will be a girl,” he said almost absently. “Then we’ll have a son and a daughter.”

“I would love to see you with a little girl. Most doting daddy ever.” Evvy chuckled. “I’ll have Dorian meet us before dinner so we can tell him privately, and Cole should be getting out of his last class in about half an hour. If you want to call Mia in the meantime, I’d love to hear her reaction.”

“Of course, of course, yes. She’s going to be thrilled. Let me see if I can make my hands actually work long enough to dial my phone.” He laughed euphorically, grabbing the device and wiping the moisture from the corners of his eyes with his thumb. He did at last manage to dial and fidgeted a bit as he waited for her to answer. “Mia! Mia, it’s Cul. I have some news I thought you might like to hear.”

“Little brother! I haven’t heard you sound this excited since you called to tell me you were getting married!”

He chuckled. “Yes, well, there’s good reason for that. Mia, Evvy’s pregnant. She got back from the doctor and just told me.”

There came a shriek of delight that forced Cullen to hold the phone away from his ear. “Oh, holy Maker and Andraste! How wonderful! When is she due?”

“In the spring - about a month before our first anniversary,” Evvy said before he could reply.

He relayed that news, then paused for a moment, laughing. “School will still be in session. Oh, the shrieking when the students find out about this!” he added, as the thought occurred to him. “You’re the first one we’ve told.”

“Well, I’m tickled pink. I’m so happy for you both! Do you want me to tell Bran and Ro, or would you rather call them yourself?”

“Hmm. Ah, here’s an idea - let’s see if we can all Skype together,” he suggested. “Then I can actually _see_ Rosalie squeal and you all can laugh at me while I cry,” he teased.

“I’ll call them over and we’ll Skype after dinner,” she proposed. “I’ll text you when we’re ready.”

“Sounds perfect, thanks Mia. I can’t wait to tell them.” He sighed happily. “I can’t wait to tell _everyone_. I only wish Mother and Father were here for this.”

“I know, Cul, me too... but you know they’re watching over us. I’m sure they’re very happy for you.” There was only a faint tinge of sadness in her voice. “They would have loved Evvy and Cole.”

“Very much so,” he agreed, nodding even though his sister, of course, could not see him. “But you’re right - they are definitely watching, looking out for us. For all of us.”

“I know. All right, dear, I’ll let you go - I’m sure you have a million other people who need to be informed. I’ll try to keep mum until we get the Skype call set up so I don’t ruin the surprise.” She chuckled. “It won’t be easy but I’ll do my best. Love you, we’ll talk later.”

“Talk to you later, Mia, love you too,” he said, and after a beat hung up. He then turned to Evvy and smiled, reaching for her hand once again.

“She seems pleased,” she joked. “Not that I expected any less.”

“You can say that again.” He laughed. “Mia has always supported me - even when we were small. I’m sure she always had faith I would get to this point eventually, that I would be this happy... even when I didn’t believe it myself.”

“Well, let me call my parents - I’ll get in touch with my siblings after dinner, but the grandparents should know,” she said, “and Cole should be here any minute so we can tell him.” She phoned Ostwick with the news, and soon after that call was complete, their son arrived.

“There he is,” Cullen said with a wide smile, gesturing for Cole to come sit down. “Cole, Mother and I have something to tell you.”

The boy looked at him, curious. “Is it a happy something? You have lights in your eyes like Wintersend morning.”

Cullen smiled all the wider at that (if such a thing was even possible) and laughed slightly. “Yes, that’s a good way of describing it, actually. And yes, it’s a _very_ happy something. We...” He glanced over at Evvy. “Should I say it, or would you like to, darling?”

Evvy smiled. “Cole, sweetheart - next spring, I’m going to have a baby. You’re going to be a big brother.”

Cole paused, digesting that. “A brother. A brother and a son, when I used to never be either. And you had never been parents and now you’ll be parents twice over.” A smile slowly illuminated his face. “Another life, another member, tying the family even closer, filling it with dreams and songs and whispers. Hmm... you’re the rainbow, you’re the sunlight, I’m the rain. What will they be? Maybe the clouds... the clouds for the rainbow and the sunlight and the rain, the two of you in one person - together.”

“That’s a lovely thought.” Evvy beamed at him. “You can help me prepare a room for the baby, and when he or she gets bigger you can teach them all sorts of things. You’ll be such a good brother.”

He nodded, the smile widening all the more. “Oh, good, I want to help,” he mused. “A room for them to call their own before we even know them.” At the notion that he would be a good brother, he shifted back and forth, his gaze a soft one. “I can teach him or her about art - about the trees in the snow or the castle in the sun. And about words - how to make words their friends, how to use the words as wishing stones and see them take root when they land. I would like that.”

“That sounds beautiful.” His mother smiled again. “All right, love, go get cleaned up for dinner. I need to text your uncle Dorian about all this, because if he doesn’t get to hear it before the other teachers he’ll be very disappointed. You know how he is.” She chuckled.

He nodded again. “He would. He likes to be first,” he confirmed. Before he left the room, he gave both of his parents a firm hug, and paused to watch Cullen for a moment. “I remember when you used to find it strange that I called you sunlight,” he mused. “But you’re so bright now it’s almost blinding. It’s good.”

“Yes it is,” Cullen agreed, giving his son’s shoulder a fond squeeze.

Still smiling at the scene, Evvy was meanwhile sending a message to Dorian’s phone. _Dearest darling Fairy Godfather, I need you for a few minutes. Are you terribly busy or can you drop by my apartment? Or I can come to the library if you would rather._

 _I’m not busy at all - and even if I were, you take precedence, Cinderella,_ came his reply. _I’m just leaving the library now, so I’ll be at your charming domicile in but a moment. See you soon._

“Dorian’s on his way,” she informed Cullen. “Ooh, I can hardly wait to see his face. Maybe you should record me telling him.”

Cullen laughed and tapped his phone against his palm thoughtfully. “Now that’s a good idea - save it for posterity. So, do you think he’ll cry?”

“Oh, Maker, yes. You forget, he cried when he saw me in my wedding dress,” she reminded him. “That’s how I knew I had the winner. So finding out that his Cinderella is having a cinderbaby? There will be tears.”

“Good, good, I’d expect nothing less.” He chuckled slightly. “Cinderbaby. I like that. Our little fairy tale prince or princess.”

“Well, we _are_ supposed to be living happily ever after. He or she is a part of that.” Evvy smiled again; would she ever stop smiling? Probably not.

“Indeed they are,” Cullen said, returning her smile.

A few moments later, there was a knock at their door and Dorian entered, looking faintly quizzical. “Like any good fairy godfather, you were in need of me and here I am,” he said, his tone playful as he spread his arms wide. After a moment, he crossed them thoughtfully and smiled. “How can I be of service?”

Evvy glanced at Cullen and gave a small nod so he would start filming the conversation. “Well, Cole and I are going to need your expert decorating advice before too long,” she said. “I was hoping you could help me decide on a color scheme and a theme for the nursery.”

“For the nursery?” he repeated. “What nursery?” And then, after a beat, he understood and he drew himself up to full height. “Wait. You’re serious? You’re not joking?” He glanced back and forth between Cullen and Evvy, and when Cullen nodded, he slapped a hand to his mouth. “Evvy. Evvy, really?”

“Really really.” She grinned at him. “We thought we’d tell you before making a general announcement to the staff.”

“Well, Maker’s breath, I’m very glad you did!” He laughed slightly, and pulled Evvy into an embrace, blinking furiously as the predicted tears did in fact come. “Oh. Oh, so many congratulations, my dear. How marvelous.”

She patted his back gently. “It should be quite the adventure, don’t you think?”

“Oh, quite. The adventure of a lifetime, surely.” He shook his head fondly, absolutely beaming and dabbing at his eyes slightly. “The fairy tale continues.”

“It certainly does. You’ll be Uncle Dorian twice over, now,” she said. “Also, I was serious about having you help with the nursery decor.”

“Of course, of course. I’m all yours, dear.” He patted her cheek, then spun to face Cullen, chuckling. “And you. First of all, stop filming me. I would come over there and box your ears if I weren’t so thrilled for you I could burst.” Also laughing, Cullen stowed his phone as Dorian came over and clapped him on the shoulder. “The bashful knight, the escaping unicorn... soon to be a proud papa yet again. Oh, _you_.”

“Thanks, Dorian,” Cullen laughed, and placed a hand on the music teacher’s shoulder. “We never would have gotten here without you.”

“As if he would ever forget that - or let us forget it,” Evvy teased.

“You’re right about that,” Dorian said with a smirk. “And I’ve never been more happy to have meddled in something in my whole life.” He looked deeply, genuinely overjoyed for his Cinderella and her Prince Charming.

“Well, if Cole’s ready,” said Evvy, giving Dorian one final small squeeze, “we should get over to the dining hall. We can break the news to the staff after we eat; I’d like to hold off on telling the students for a little while.”

“I have a feeling they’ll find out even if we don’t tell them, love.” Cullen chuckled. “This is Skyhold after all.”

“Too true,” Dorian said, also laughing. “I’m looking forward to seeing the reactions of the staff, though. The students will scream, that much I know, no surprise there.”

“This baby will be surrounded by more love than he or she will know how to handle,” Evvy noted affectionately.

“There are definitely worse things,” said Dorian with a smile. “But oh yes, your child is going to be adored. And probably a little bit spoiled, if I’m being perfectly honest. I’m sure between me and Prince Charming alone there will be plenty of spoiling, that’s not even counting the others.”

“Well, in a way he or she’ll belong to Skyhold as much as to us,” Evvy mused. “I guess that’s to be expected.”

“It takes a village, after all,” he replied. “Or in this case, a castle.”

A moment later, Cole popped back out from his room, still smiling. “Your eyes look like Wintersend morning now too, Uncle Dorian,” he said in greeting.

“You noticed that, hm?” Evvy tousled her son’s hair. “Uncle Dorian is very excited about our news. He’s going to help us decorate the baby’s room.”

Cole brightened even more at that. “Decorating together - so many details, so much to do. Oh! He can help us plan and Father can help us paint!”

Cullen laughed. “I look forward to it.” He beamed. 

* * *

The word traveled quickly down the staff table that a short meeting would be held in the teachers’ lounge following dinner. That they were curious was obvious enough to Evvy, but except for Dorian - who couldn’t help looking a bit smug - and of course Cullen, none of them seemed to have a clue what was afoot.

“Well, Songbird, what’s this all about?” Varric asked when they had assembled.

“You know as much as I do, Varric,” Leliana replied. “I was just asked to call the meeting - I have yet to learn why.”

“And Dorian has looked awfully knowing the whole night,” Hawke put in. “Have we all lost a bet we don’t know about?”

“I would say no one has lost anything. On the contrary,” Dorian replied, “everyone here is about to gain something extraordinary. But it’s not for me to do the honors.”

“Hmm. Maybe we _won_ a bet we don't know about.” Hawke smiled, tilting her head quizzically.

Cullen arrived a few moments later, also smiling. “Sorry to keep you all waiting. Thanks so much for congregating - the Skyhold Signal is remarkable indeed.”

Everyone chuckled at that. “Well, Curly, don’t keep us in suspense,” said Varric. “Although I’m starting to suspect I may in fact have _actually_ won a bet, if you’re about to tell us what I think you are.”

Had Cullen's smile widened any farther, his face would have cracked, and he chuckled at the writing teacher's statement. “Yes. Well. Evvy left to call her sister so I'm the bearer of good news - _very_ good news. I'm... I'm going to be a father again. Evvy's pregnant.”

The reaction was everything he could have hoped it would be. Cass gaped delightedly, Josie squealed, Bull gave a roar of laughter, and Varric clapped Solas on the shoulder. “I called it, Chuckles! You owe me.”

Solas merely smiled slightly and began flipping through his wallet. “Ah, well. I've never been more pleased to lose a bet. Congratulations, Cullen.”

Cullen only managed to wave his thanks, being mobbed in a huge hug as he was by Cassandra. “Cullen, I hardly know what to say! Congratulations! You’ve never looked happier - which is saying something, after last spring,” she added, laughing and releasing him.

“Thank you, Cass,” he said fondly. “I hardly know what to say either - except to say that I'm so overjoyed I could burst. But you all knew that already, I'm sure.”

“Yeah, you’re not exactly subtle when it comes to your emotions,” Blackwall teased him. “That’s all right. You’re entitled.”

“A baby at Skyhold.” Leliana’s mind was clearly working. “We’ll have to make some changes. Certain areas will need babyproofing... it opens up some interesting educational opportunities too, though, if you and Evvy are willing. A unit on child care would probably go over very well.”

“Sure, but who’s going to teach it?” Hawke interjected. “Not a single one of us have ever been parents, except for Cullen and Evvy adopting Cole - I would need a class myself if I were in their shoes.”

“You can say that again,” Cullen said with a nervous laugh, nodding in Hawke’s direction. “We adopted Cole as a teenager and he’s such a good lad that most of our parenting involves encouraging him to come out of his shell. Actually raising a child from birth... I’m a bit terrified, but also terribly excited.”

“Well, I guess there’s no rush for a parenting class for the students,” Leliana said with a chuckle. “We’ll look into maybe getting someone certified in infant pediatrics on the staff, though, Madam Giselle has her hands full with our resident teenagers as it is. Speaking of Cole, Cullen, how did he take the news?”

“Oh, he was very happy, bless him. And had some beautifully poetic thoughts on the matter too, of course.” Cullen beamed proudly. “He’s also quite looking forward to helping Mother and Uncle Dorian plan the nursery.”

“That’s so sweet,” said Josephine approvingly. “So when is Evvy due?”

“Right, I’m leaving out the important details, aren’t I?” He laughed a bit as some of his friends nodded. “To answer your question, Josie, she’s due in early spring, shortly before our anniversary.”

“You’re excited. We understand.” Varric chuckled. “Well, congratulations. And thanks for the coffee money,” he added teasingly, waving the money he got from Solas. “We had a bet going on when this would happen. I said before your first anniversary, Chuckles was sure you’d wait until after.”

“Well, I’m glad I could be of assistance, but we didn’t exactly plan this, you understand.” He threw a teasing glare in Dorian’s direction as the music teacher began to laugh. “I mean, such a thought has been on my mind for a while. But even I didn’t expect it now.”

There was a general snicker. “We get it,” said Hawke, chuckling. “It’s great news, no matter what the plan.” Nudging Varric, she said innocently, “I wonder how Bethany will react. Bet she’ll be willing to babysit when she comes to visit - she _loves_ kids, you know.” Varric choked.

“That would be wonderful, I’m sure we’ll definitely take her up on that offer,” Cullen replied, his tone equally innocent as he tried not to laugh. “Tell her thank you for us, Marian.”

“Will do. Maybe I should bug Fenris about this, Varric could use a niece or nephew to keep him in line.” She smirked.

Cassandra chortled slightly. “Uncle Varric,” she said, elbowing him playfully. “I can just see him with a little circle at his feet, all listening to a story.”

“Uh. I’m cool with that, y’know, but... let’s not get carried away here. One baby at a time, right?”

There some chuckles at that. “Well,” said Cassandra with a grin. “They say the Maker never gives us more than we can handle - hopefully that applies here.”

“Of course, the really important matters,” Varric continued, “must be addressed. I will naturally be operating betting pools with regards to the baby’s gender and actual birth date. Let me know when you make your decisions and want to pony up.”

“Hmm. Put me down for the little one being a girl,” Dorian said, pondering. “I’ll get back to you on an exact date.”

“Maker’s breath.” Cullen chuckled, shaking his head. “Good to see the Skyhold economy won’t suffer any.”

“I’ll have to come up with a creative way to update your epic poem,” the author added. “How’s Siren feeling, on a more serious note?”

“She has been a bit sick lately, which makes sense now in hindsight,” said Cullen. “I thought it was just a stomach bug or something. But otherwise all right, I think.”

“And I’m sure if she isn’t feeling all right, you’re going to be the first in line to try and correct it,” Dorian teased.

Everyone sort of chuckled and nodded. “In all seriousness,” said Leliana, “you and Evvy must let us know if there’s any way we can help, anything you need.”

“Thank you for that. Thank you all very much.” Although it wasn’t particularly surprising that the staff would make such an offer, Cullen was nevertheless touched. “We’ll definitely let you know. The main thing I can think of is to keep us in your prayers, of course.”

“Did you call the curly-siblings?” Varric wanted to know. He was particularly fond of Mia and amused himself with imagining her reaction.

“I called Mia. I’m going to talk to Bran and Ro soon, actually. Mia, as I’m sure you can imagine, shrieked. I had to hold my phone away from my ear or I probably would have gone deaf.”

“Sounds about right.”

“The first baby at Skyhold,” Josie said, a little dreamily. “This is going to change the school forever, isn’t it? It’s not just... it’s not just a school anymore. It’s a family, more than it’s ever been.”

“That’s true,” Cullen agreed. “Skyhold gave so many of us a family, it gave many of our students a home... and my children get to be a part of that. The Skyhold family gets just a little bit bigger.”

“I’ll be sure to let the founders know,” said Leliana. “I’m sure they’ll be thrilled.” She paused, then laughed. “Alistair may feel like an impending grandfather, in a weird sort of way. He always looks at Skyhold a little differently.”

“Well, whatever he and the First Lady are to my children, they’re very lucky to have them both. All the students are,” Cullen said earnestly. “The founders’ kindness has created such a ripple of good things. I don’t really think we’ll properly be able to thank them.”

“That’s true of a lot of people, Curly,” said Varric. “Skyhold wouldn’t be here without those two; at least, not in its present condition. Changing the world one kid at a time and all that.”

“And one staff member at a time,” Dorian added. “As syrupy as it may sound, I think it’s safe to say that none of us are the same people we were when we started this job.”

“I’d have to say that’s true,” said Blackwall. “And it’s mostly an improvement, I think.”

“It definitely has been for me,” Cullen said with a smile. “And I think there are quite a few people who would agree.”


	6. Pas de Deux

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On their anniversary, Hawke and Fenris tell the staff how they met and fell in love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, all! Sorry for the delay in updates. I live in Florida, so I've been dealing with an unwanted guest named Irma. My family and I are fine, though, thank goodness.
> 
> Now on to business. This "chapter" is dedicated to TemariDesertStorm, who asked us if we had anything written about Hawke and Fenris's relationship. We realized we hadn't really planned their story out much and decided to change that. Thanks for the suggestion - we hope you enjoy what we've cooked up!
> 
> Fenris's backstory was a bit hard to translate into a setting with no magic and no lyrium, so quite a few things were changed a little to make them work. Additionally, we condensed DA2's timeline quite a bit to fit the series while still keeping true to the nature of Fenris's past. Finally, Fenris being a ballet dancer references a bit of party banter where he jokes that he dances in the mansion. In fact, the title of this chapter refers to a dance between two people.

* * *

**Pas de Deux**

* * *

Fenris made his way through the hallway of married housing, smirking slightly as he did so. When he reached the door to the apartment he shared with Hawke, he entered and immediately crossed over to where she sat in order to kiss her cheek. “Happy anniversary,” he said at last, holding out his hand to offer a gift he had been holding behind his back. His wife wasn’t much for flowers, and thus the item in question was several new paint brushes, bound together with a ribbon.

“Oh, Fenris, how thoughtful.” She laughed, accepting the bundle. “Just what I needed, too. Happy anniversary.” She reached under her desk and produced a bottle of Aggregio wine, one of his favorites, also tied with a ribbon.

His lips twitched into a smile as he accepted the bottle. “Think we have time for a glass? Or will the others come looking for us, I wonder?”

“I think if they’re smart, they won’t try to find us at least long enough for us to have a glass of wine.” Smirking, she produced a pair of long-stemmed glasses and a corkscrew. “I was way ahead of you on that.”

“And that is why, after five years of knowing you, I am still yours.” His smile widened slightly and he leaned against the kitchen counter, watching her pour.

She handed him a glass. “To my husband,” she said, lifting her own. “The man who, when finally allowed to choose what he wanted in life... decided that I was what made him happy.”

“And to my wife, the woman who never gave up on me - even during the times when I had given up on myself.” There was deep affection in his tone and he clinked his glass against her own, before drinking slowly. “Four years of marriage...  _tempus fugit_.”

“It does,” she agreed after a long drink. “And look at how much has happened just in those four years.”

“Indeed. There’s never a dull moment at Skyhold, after all.” He gave a slight chuckle. “And here I thought I was signing up for a quiet life when I agreed to follow you to your second career. I should have known excitement would follow you wherever you went.”

“You’re in show business,” she reminded him with a slight smile. “You’re supposed to enjoy excitement.”

“I dance ballet, it’s not like I star in movies,” he returned, chuckling again. “Although I’d be lying if I said I didn’t relish that excitement from time to time. Particularly when you’re involved.”

“ _Some_ kinds of excitement,” Hawke amended. “I’m very glad that all the excitement in Bethany’s life these days is chiefly centered around Varric. Not a sentence I ever thought I’d say, I admit, but there you are.”

“And thank goodness for it too. I can speak from experience about how having the love of a Hawke woman can turn a man’s life around.” He smiled. “If Varric is even a fraction as happy with Bethany as I am with you, then he’s very lucky indeed.”

“Sweet talker.” She chuckled, and kissed him. “Ah, and there’s the phone... well, his ears must have been ringing,” she added, looking at the message on her screen. _Hawke, Songbird’s looking all over for you. Staff meeting in the lounge. Apparently kind of urgent._ “Now what’s that about?”

“A staff meeting? Now?” He groaned faintly. “I suppose I have to relinquish you then - duty calls. I can’t promise I’ll leave any of this for when you get back, though.” He tapped the bottle teasingly.

“Yeah, I - wait. There’s a second message. _Bring Broody with you. It concerns him too._ ” She looked up, somewhat uneasy. “I can’t tell if he’s having me on or if there’s really a problem.”

Fenris’s expression turned serious. “Oh. Well, in that case, we’d better go, shouldn’t we?”

“Just in case it’s a real issue, we’d better. If it turns out to be a trick, I’ll just kill him later.” Hawke smirked. “Or I’ll call Bethany and tell _her_ to yell at him - much more effective.”

“If that does happen, I think I’d rather like to be a fly on the wall for it.” He stood and gestured for his wife to go first as they exited the apartment.

* * *

A few minutes later, they were approaching the door to the staff lounge. “It’s suspiciously quiet,” Hawke muttered, reaching for the knob. “I may have to -”

“ _SURPRISE!_ ”

“- kill him,” she concluded lamely, starting to laugh.

“Happy anniversary, you two!”

Fenris looked temporarily gobsmacked, then he too began to laugh, shaking his head. “Well, thank you all very much. Whose idea was this?”

“I must confess it was mine,” said a voice that could only belong to Bethany. After a moment, Dorian stepped forward, holding a tablet – on the screen, the younger Hawke was waving and smiling broadly. “Surprise! Happy anniversary! Sorry I couldn’t be there in person.”

“Aw, thanks, Bethy.” Hawke immediately softened. Now knowing that it was neither an emergency nor an elaborate prank, _and_ that it had all been engineered by her other most important person, she could better appreciate the whole thing. She looked around at the gathered staff. “Really. Thank you all. This was nice of you.”

“Well, you know,” said Varric, relieving Dorian of the tablet, “you two have had a pretty rough go of things. And what with Sunshine wanting to do something to show you how grateful she is for all you went through on her behalf, and me feeling like we never did quite enough to show you how glad we are to have you back here again, your anniversary seemed like the perfect time to do both of those things.” He glanced at the screen. “Right?”

“I couldn’t have said it better myself,” Bethany replied with a smile. “So, I reached out to Skyhold’s party planner and he took it from there.”

“You know I’ll never say no to planning an event - especially for a worthy cause,” said Dorian, looking pleased with himself.

“And so,” said Leliana, “we’re here to honor the two of you. Because you deserve it so very much.”

“You really do,” Bethany reaffirmed. “It’s been a hard road, and it’s so wonderful to see you both here now.”

“And we’re glad to have all of you here with us,” Hawke replied. “Just wish you could be here too, sis.”

“Me too.” She smiled softly. “But this tablet has a full charge and I’m settled in bed, so I’m going to be a part of this shindig for a while. I’m only jealous I can’t actually enjoy the cake with you all.”

“If there’s any left, I might be persuaded to deliver it to Kirkwall this weekend,” said Varric mildly. “Maybe.”

“Well, I won’t argue with any of that.” Bethany giggled.

* * *

Several minutes later, everyone was supplied with food and drink, and had taken up their usual seats around the room. “It’s really very considerate of you all to do this,” said Hawke. “We had a super tiny wedding - Varric probably told you - so this is actually more of a celebration than we’ve had at any point in the marriage thus far.”

“You know, come to think of it,” said Cullen, “I don’t think most of the assembled have heard the story of how you two met - besides what Varric’s told us, of course. Even I myself only know part of it, and that’s because we all met when I was in Kirkwall to finish my teaching degree.”

“I suppose that’s true. And this staff does enjoy reminiscing…” Fenris said, glancing at his wife as if to see if she was all right with it before turning back to the staff. “Care to hear the story?”

“How long have you known us, Fenris?” Bull chortled. “Besides, it’ll be pretty novel to hear this from _you_ instead of Varric.”

“You say that like you think the truth is more interesting than what I’ve told you,” Varric protested.

“Well, when it comes to Hawke and me, the truth usually is more interesting and unbelievable than what even our resident storyteller could cook up.” Fenris said with a faint chuckle.

“Some of the details are a bit personal, so you’ll have to excuse us if we leave one or two things out,” said Hawke. “But I remember it all as clearly as if it were a flashback, complete with ripple dissolve…”

Everyone laughed. “Ooh, wait, here,” Bethany said, tapping at something off-screen, evidently her phone. After a second, the sound of a harp playing could be heard and she smirked slightly. “There you go.”

“My sister-in-law, ladies and gentlemen,” said Fenris, looking amused. “Anyway, with such a perfectly timed cue for a bit of storytelling, I suppose I’ll start with how Hawke and I met and go from there…”

 

* * *

 

> _Being friends with the chief of police had its perks. Of course, Hawke, Bethany, and Varric - but most especially Hawke - had a lot to do with helping Aveline become the chief of police in the first place. With their assistance, she was able to prove that the chief under whom she was serving had become corrupt, violated the integrity of the force, and needed to be fired. In gratitude to them for exposing the corruption, the Viscount had promoted Aveline to the empty post and given commendations to the other three. It didn’t help much with Hawke and Bethany’s efforts to restore their mother to the lifestyle they wanted her to have, but it was a start._
> 
> _And, as noted, it had perks. One of these was an ability to act outside of the law to an extent. She had deputized the three of them, allowing them to exert a kind of martial law on the city, where every night the natural order of things was disrupted by all manner of common thugs and gangs. Most nights found the three of them, occasionally joined by a fourth (sometimes Aveline herself), rooting out these troublemakers and trying to make the city safer._
> 
> _What’s more, they tried their best to do it all non-lethally. Sure, a few ruffians were likely to get roughed up from time to time, but nobody died. Somehow, however, there seemed an almost bafflingly endless wave of people determined to take advantage of the city and its people however they could._
> 
> _“I just don’t understand where they’re all coming from,” Bethany complained one night after the group had routed a particularly stubborn group of thugs. “We clear out one group and three more spring up. How are they all organizing so quickly?”_
> 
> _“That’s what I can’t figure out either, Sunshine,” said Varric. The nickname was still somewhat new in those days, but its appropriateness was impossible to deny. “When it’s the Carta or the Coterie, that’s one thing. But these all seem to be scrappy little bands of nobodies. It doesn’t make sense.”_
> 
> _“Do you think someone is maybe behind all this?” she suggested. “Someone… I don’t know… organizing them? Or funding them? Maybe taking a cut of what they steal?”_
> 
> _“I’ve heard stranger ideas,” he replied. “Something is definitely weird about all of it.”_
> 
> _“Well, I suppose we’ll find out eventually. At least it gives me an excuse to put my kickboxing lessons to good use.” She stretched her back. “For now, though, I should take off. Sadly, ‘I’m helping clean up the streets of Kirkwall’ isn’t as valid an excuse for not turning in university assignments as I had hoped.”_
> 
> _Varric chuckled. “Yeah, I’m not surprised. Come on, I’ll run you home on the bike.”_
> 
> _“Oh, thank you, Varric, you’re a gem.” She smiled, then turned to her sister. “And what about you? Are you walking home, after all that?”_
> 
> _“I’ll be there soon - just going to drop by police headquarters and let Aveline know about the latest crop of lowlifes. She’s trying to detect patterns in the movements.” Hawke patted Bethany’s shoulder. “Tell Mother not to wait up. And ask Duke to please watch the door.”_
> 
> _“I can do both of those things. Well, just in case I’m asleep by the time you’re back, good night, sis. And be careful, won’t you?”_
> 
> _“Always, Bethy.” She smiled. “Thanks, Varric.”_
> 
> _“No problem. See you tomorrow, Hawke.”_
> 
> _As stated, Hawke made her way to see Aveline and give her report. The entire thing didn’t take long, and Hawke was just about to turn to leave when the police chief stopped her._
> 
> _“Before you go, Hawke,” said Aveline, “I have something for you from the Viscount.”_
> 
> _“A warrant for my arrest?” she deadpanned._
> 
> _“Not this time.” Aveline chuckled. “There’s a ballet troupe coming to Kirkwall to perform. I think they’re doing that one about Queen Madrigal of Antiva. Anyway, they need an artist to paint the backdrops, and in light of your service to the city, Viscount Dumar thought you might like the job.”_
> 
> _“At last, putting my art degree to some use,” Hawke quipped, accepting the papers. “Great. Tell him I said thank you very much and I’ll meet the director when they arrive.”_
> 
> _This message was passed on and about three days later, a ship arrived in the harbor, bearing a unique assortment of performers - chief among them a tanned man with white hair who immediately stuck out in the crowd. If his appearance wouldn’t have drawn attention to him, it would have been the expression on his face. While the rest of the troupe looked around at the city they would be performing in, the man, carrying no possessions save his ballet shoes, stalked forward to find their destination, his mouth a hard line._
> 
> _Hawke, making her way to the docks, paused to take in the sight of him. “You’re one of the dancers, I presume,” she said, when he drew near enough to speak to him._
> 
> _“You presume correctly,” he replied, holding up the shoes as if for emphasis. “My name is Fenris. The rest of the troupe is busy gawking.” He gestured with his head to where the other dancers were still looking around. “Are you the artist?”_
> 
> _She nodded, a little surprised to have been so correctly identified. “Marian Hawke. I was asked by Viscount Dumar to meet your troupe and show you to the keep. Where is your director?”_
> 
> _He gestured with his head again, then turned to face the troupe. “If you’re all quite finished, the artist is here,” he called._
> 
> _“Welcome to Kirkwall,” she said, a bit more loudly. “My name is Marian Hawke; you can just call me Hawke. Viscount Dumar asked me to greet you and bring you to the keep so you can see where you’ll be staying and performing, and I’ll be in charge of the set design for your production. We’re very glad to have you here. If you’ll follow me?”_
> 
> _The troupe fell into step behind her, all except for Fenris, who walked next to her as if he knew the way - which, of course, he didn’t. For the first time since stepping off the ship, he allowed himself to look around, and pursed his lips slightly, as if silently assessing the city._
> 
> _“She’s not much to look at, I know,” Hawke said lightly, seeing his scrutiny._
> 
> _“Hmm?” After a moment, he seemed to realize what she meant. “Oh. No, she’s fine. Compared to where I’ve been in the past, she’ll do very well.” He continued to survey his surroundings, but gave Hawke a sideways sort of glance._
> 
> _“I’m originally from Ferelden, myself. So it was an adjustment for me,” she replied. They led the troupe up into Hightown. “You’ll be lodging at the keep as well as performing there, but the Viscount urges you to consider yourselves at home and feel free to explore the city. The market is over here, should you need anything. If you can’t find it there, let me know - I know a guy.” She chuckled._
> 
> _“And if we can return your hospitality, let us know as well,” Fenris returned, speaking for the whole group. “We can get you tickets to the show, if you enjoy ballet. Although you’ll probably be stuck watching us rehearse while you paint.”_
> 
> _“Oh, I don’t mind. Art is art, you know. But I’ll be bringing my family to the performance - my mother will love it.” She gestured to the long staircase. “Here we are, the Viscount’s Keep.”_
> 
> _“Thank you.” He nodded. “Let the others put their things away - I need some air after that voyage. And I won’t detain you further if you have things you must attend to.”_
> 
> _“My task at the moment is just to get you all settled. If you’re looking for anything particular in the air, I can direct you.”_
> 
> _He chuckled slightly. “I figured I would go where the mood takes me. Any recommendations?”_
> 
> _“Not sure what your mood is,” she replied, oddly pleased by the chuckle. “For my part, when I finish up here I’ll be heading for the Hanged Man. If your taste runs to dilapidated ancient taverns with variable understanding of customer service, you’re welcome to wait and I’ll show you the way.”_
> 
> _He held his arms up in a slight shrug. “I could do worse,” he said. “And present company seems… rather agreeable.”_
> 
> _“Hm. Likewise.” Hawke was amused, now, and that amusement sustained her considerably through the kerfuffle of directing dancers and giving instructions to their director. Finally, an hour or so later, she left the keep and, with Fenris trailing behind her, made her way down to Lowtown._
> 
> _“My best friend should be along presently. He had a meeting with his editor - he’s a writer. We usually meet for cards in the late afternoon while we wait for sundown,” she explained over her shoulder._
> 
> _“While you wait for sundown?” he repeated, sounding faintly bemused. “What happens then?”_
> 
> _“Oh, we all turn into vampires and stalk the city.” Hawke chuckled. “No, we… well, the chief of police is another close friend. Varric - the bff - and I are deputized to assist her. Kirkwall has a massive gang problem.”_
> 
> _A single note of surprised laughter bubbled in his throat and he raised an eyebrow. “So you’re saying the city’s police chief deputized an artist and a writer to help fight the gang problem?”_
> 
> _“You have to admit, it’s a_ creative _approach,” she deadpanned._
> 
> _“It certainly is that.” He smirked a little. “This city must have a_ very _interesting endowment to the arts fund.”_
> 
> _She laughed. “You, I like. Actually, Varric and I both have a bit of a law enforcement background. My father was the sheriff of Lothering, before he died, so I sort of grew up with it. Varric… well, Varric knows a lot of criminals, let’s leave it there.”_
> 
> _“It’s all right, so do I.” He clenched his jaw briefly, but relinquished after a moment. “So how did you become an artist, then?” he asked, changing the subject._
> 
> _“Honestly, I just picked up a paintbrush one day and never really put it back down. It gives me a different sense of satisfaction than punching baddies does. Sometimes it’s nice to make something beautiful.”_
> 
> _“I quite understand.” He nodded. “Being an artist of any kind means having the power to give when all others seek to take away... to create something from nothing… to evoke emotion. Art is a bright spot that no darkness can destroy.” After a moment, he cleared his throat, looking slightly embarrassed to have gone on such a diatribe. “Apologies, that was…”_
> 
> _“No, no apology necessary. We artistic types understand each other like that.” She waved at the public house. “Welcome to what Varric calls the grandest and most glorious shithole in all of Thedas. Try not to breathe through your nose.”_
> 
> _“Ah, too late,” he reported. “Sour ale, vomit, and the smell of desperation.”_
> 
> _“That’s about right.” They entered, and she waved at the barman as they passed. “Usual, please, Corff! Oh, Fenris, what’ll you have?”_
> 
> _“Well, since I’m guessing Aggregio is in short supply, I suppose I’ll have what she’s having.” He turned to Hawke. “What_ are _you having?”_
> 
> _“Mead. There’s a decent meadery in Tantervale and I’ve convinced Corff to keep a supply on hand. Two of my usual, then, please. We’ll be in Varric’s rooms. Come on,” she added, leading him toward the stairs at the back of the taproom._
> 
> _Fenris looked around. “And… your friend actually keeps a room here? On purpose?”_
> 
> _“Yep. Don’t ask me why, because I can’t explain it. He could own three or four houses in Hightown if he wanted - actually, he quite possibly_ does _,” she amended, pulling out the key to Varric’s suite. “But he likes the atmosphere here, for some reason.”_
> 
> _“Well, luckily his taste in friends is better than his taste in accommodation,” the dancer remarked quietly._

 

* * *

 

“Hey,” Varric protested mildly, “there’s nothing wrong with the Hanged Man. I _still_ live there when I’m not at school, you know.”

“Well, you have to admit, the Hanged Man is…” Cullen searched for a word.

“An acquired taste,” Bethany finished for him, diplomatically.

Varric chuckled. “Okay, I guess I can admit that. It does take a special breed to fully appreciate it.”

“And it also takes a special nose to withstand it,” Hawke noted. “It’s pretty much the _only_ tavern in Kirkwall. I suspect there’s some kind of racket going on there.”

“So they have a monopoly on being terrible?” Dorian teased.

“I will neither confirm nor deny such a thing,” said Varric, smirking a bit.

“Anyway, so this was the first time you met Varric too?” Blackwall wanted to know.

“Did you two get along?” Josie added.

“Well…”

 

* * *

 

> _“Oh, there you are, Hawke,” said Varric, coming up behind them just as she opened the door. “Meeting didn’t take as long as I expected. Who’s your broody friend?”_
> 
> _“This is Fenris. He’s from that dance troupe for whom I’ll be doing the backgrounds. Fenris, this is Varric Tethras - author, philanthropist, and incredibly loyal pain in the ass.”_
> 
> _“A pleasure,” Fenris said dryly, extending a hand. “And I don’t_ brood _.”_
> 
> _“Friend, if your brooding were any more impressive, women would swoon as you passed.” Varric replied, shaking hands. “They’d have broody babies in your honor.”_
> 
> _“You,” said Fenris, raising an eyebrow, “are a very odd man.” But he smiled slightly._
> 
> _“He is that,” Hawke agreed fondly. “All right, there’s three of us. Bethany’s still at school, but I expect Duke any minute. You need four for Diamondback. Do you know how to play, Fenris?”_
> 
> _“No, but I’m a quick study, I’m sure I’ll pick it up,” he said. “Is Duke another friend of yours?”_
> 
> _Hawke laughed. “You could say that. Duke’s my dog - he’s a mabari. Varric taught him to play cards.”_
> 
> _“This is… quite possibly the strangest group I’ve ever fallen in with - and I’ve danced with a ballet group in_ Seheron _,” he remarked. However, he sat down and looked content... at least as content as he could look._
> 
> _It didn’t take Hawke long, over the course of the next few weeks, to conclude that she really liked Fenris. Varric was a bit concerned, and told her so, but he knew better than to seriously interfere. Finally, after the dance troupe was done rehearsing one day, she asked if he wanted to come over for dinner. “I live here in Hightown, it’s not a far walk.”_
> 
> _He blinked at her in mild surprise, but after a moment, smiled slightly. “I would be glad to,” he replied. “As long as you’re certain I’m not intruding…”_
> 
> _“No more than Varric ever is,” she joked. “He likes to drop by unannounced. At least I’m inviting_ you _.”_
> 
> _“Well, that is true.” He smiled again. “Just give me a moment to get out of costume and then we can head out.”_
> 
> _“Of course, take your time. I hope you like beef,” she added. “That’s what I’m told is on the menu.”_
> 
> _“Sounds fine to me,” he replied, disappearing briefly in order to change. He emerged a few minutes later, carrying his ballet shoes. “All right, then, lead the way.”_
> 
> _They walked through the white-tile streets to a house with a strange red emblem by the door. “My grandparents’ sigil,” she explained. “This was my mother’s childhood home. Come on in.” Opening the door, she paused to greet the dog and hang up her coat. “I’m home! Anyone here?”_
> 
> _“Just me!” Bethany called from upstairs. “Mother went out. I’m a little swamped, so I probably won’t be down for dinner, I’m afraid.”_
> 
> _“Which is code for ‘Varric didn’t show up,’ if I’m not mistaken,” Hawke muttered to herself, chuckling. “Looks like it’s just us, then. Mother’s probably meeting her brother Gamlen for supper. Come on in here.”_
> 
> _He followed her, looking around at the house. “Your sister works hard,” he said after a few moments in an effort to make conversation. “You told me she’s pursuing a design degree, is that right?”_
> 
> _“That’s right. Three semesters to go, if everything happens on schedule.” Hawke was proud of Bethany, and it was evident. “We try not to let her come rabble-rousing with us too much. She’s safer when she’s focused on her schoolwork. Oh, hi, Bodahn,” she added, greeting the head of the household. “Bethany’s in the middle of projects, would you make sure she gets a plate, please?”_
> 
> _“Of course, messere. Dinner will be out shortly.”_
> 
> _“Thank you.”_
> 
> _Fenris nodded respectfully, then turned to Hawke. “Forgive me if I’m speaking out of turn, but this house seems like… well, a lot for a law enforcement officer-slash-artist.”_
> 
> _“It’s a little hard to explain, but the long and short of it is that my mother’s family is part of the old nobility here in Kirkwall,” she replied. “She gave up her inheritance to run away and marry my father, and when circumstances forced us to come crawling back here after he and my brother died, things had taken a downturn for the family. It’s taken us a long time to get the house back in our names, but we finally made it.”_
> 
> _“But you did get it back, through hard work. I admire that,” he remarked. “Do you ever miss Ferelden?”_
> 
> _“Sometimes. I was born there - it was all I knew,” she replied. “I can’t feel too homesick, though, I’m usually too busy for it anyway.”_
> 
> _“Keeping busy is good,” he agreed, still looking around. “Prevents the mind from wandering too much.”_
> 
> _“Very true. If you like, I’ll show you around after we eat,” she offered. “We have a library upstairs.”_
> 
> _“Mm…” He seemed a little displeased by the last portion of that statement, but nodded. “Yes, I would definitely like that. It seems like a remarkable house.”_
> 
> _“Sure. Oh, and I have a surprise for you,” she added, seeing the food being brought to the table. Among the offerings was a bottle of Aggregio. “You mentioned you like it, so I asked Varric to do a little digging and he found a supplier.”_
> 
> _Fenris looked temporarily shocked, as if in disbelief anyone would not only listen to and retain his brief mention of the wine, but then go to all the trouble of procuring it. Then a surprised, but pleased smile spread across his features. “That’s… very kind of you. Thank you.”_
> 
> _“You’re welcome. Please, enjoy.” She gestured to the meal. “Um. Tell me more about yourself.”_
> 
> _He paused in the middle of raising his wine glass to his lips. “Well… you know I’m a dancer. The rest of the story isn’t very pleasant - and I shouldn’t make my problems yours.”_
> 
> _“Isn’t that what friends are for?” Hawke inquired sweetly._
> 
> _He smiled again. He smiled a lot in this woman’s company, he noted – it was… odd, but not unwelcome. “I suppose so. Can’t say I’ve had many of those in my life. I try not to let people get too close as a general policy, but…”_
> 
> _“Oh, I understand. A little distance is healthy, sometimes,” she replied. “And in your line of work it makes sense, you probably move around a lot. But… well, for your time in Kirkwall, you’re welcome to consider me a friend.”_
> 
> _“I would like that, thank you.” He took an almost contemplative sip from his glass, drawing out the pause. “Being in Kirkwall is… different than I expected. You’re right in saying that I move around a lot, so usually I’m not thinking in any terms except forward – I’m… trying to get away from someone.”_
> 
> _“Oh!” Hawke was a little surprised. “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pry… if you don’t want to talk about it…”_
> 
> _“You didn’t pry. I just… well, I’ve never told anyone this. I’ve never wanted to. But, as you say, I guess this is what it’s like to have a friend. And besides, there are few pleasures greater than speaking with a beautiful woman - even if the subject matter is unpleasant.”_
> 
> _“I’m sorry, what was that last part?” She smirked a little._
> 
> _“Even if the subject matter is unpleasant,” he repeated, returning her smirk. “Well… it’s a statement of fact - you_ are _a beautiful woman, Hawke.”_
> 
> _“Why thank you. Usually the only one who says that is Varric, and he tempers it by making it sound like I have food on my face half the time,” she replied, chuckling. “It’s so nice to hear a straightforward compliment. But do go on.”_
> 
> _“Right.” He took another drink. “I guess where I’m from is as good a place to start as any. I was born in Tevinter – my family was extremely poor, as are many who don’t occupy positions of power there. I began work at a young age to help support them, and left school when I was…” He paused, evidently counting back. “Twelve? Thirteen? Tevinter is dotted with companies, so it isn’t difficult to find work. But that’s not always a good thing. A few years into my meager employment, I was discovered by a man named Danarius.”_
> 
> _Hawke watched his face as he spoke, cutting up her dinner in order to keep her hands busy. She didn’t want to interrupt; this seemed important. “Is that how you got into dancing?”_
> 
> _“Yes and no. I had always liked to dance - not that I had the time to engage in such frivolity at the time. But there are endless ways to be exploited in Tevinter, particularly if you’re a young, naïve artist in need of coin. And that’s basically what it amounted to - exploitation.” He gritted his teeth._
> 
> _“Oh. Oh, I’m sorry.”_

 

* * *

 

“We don’t really need to go into the details if you’re not comfortable,” Hawke reminded Fenris.

“I may skip over some of the worst details, for the simple fact that I don’t need to inflict those things on all of you,” he replied, glancing around the room. “But I don’t see the need to keep secrets from any of you - we’re all friends here.”

“Your comfort zone, Broody,” Varric said, lifting his mug briefly. “You call the shots.”

Fenris nodded his appreciation. Meanwhile, Dorian looked like he was trying to remember some detail. “Forgive the interruption, but that name - Danarius. Didn’t he own a massive coffee company in Tevinter?”

“Yes, that was his ‘official’ business. He dabbled in narcotics on the sly,” said Fenris.

“Well,” said Dorian. “I always hated that swill, and now I feel validated in that opinion.”

“Danarius Coffee has been out of business for a few years, though, hasn’t it?” asked Josephine.

“There’s a very good reason for that,” said Bethany. “But I don’t want to backseat storytell.”

“More on that later,” said Fenris. “For now, let’s just say that my time with Danarius was horrible. He held all the financial power over me – and eventually, after we went to Seheron, over the troupe I danced with, the Fog Warriors. When I finally managed to get away from him… well, I would say I was running from an abusive ex, but “ex” implies a relationship, and it’s not a relationship when someone treats you like a pet. I told Hawke a bit more about it that night over dinner, but as I said, I’ll spare you those details.”

 

* * *

 

> _“No, don’t apologize,” he said, holding up a hand. “It’s not your fault.”_
> 
> _He was more forthcoming than Hawke had expected, however, and when he finally left close to midnight, she found herself thinking that she probably knew him better than anybody except maybe Bethany or Varric at that point. A little dazed, she made her way upstairs, pausing to knock on Bethany’s door. “Hey. Did you eat?”_
> 
> _“Mmhmm,” she replied, holding up the empty plate in proof, not looking up. “How about you?”_
> 
> _“Yeah, uh… Fenris came for dinner.” Hawke sat on the bed. “You have a minute, baby sis?”_
> 
> _Immediately, Bethany closed her book and spun in her chair to face her sister. “Of course.” She nodded, studying Hawke’s face. “What’s on your mind?”_
> 
> _“Oh, I just… what’s the expression? Ugh, feels.” Hawke smiled slightly. “I really like this guy, and I’m a little worried about it since he’s, you know, not staying here.”_
> 
> _Bethany’s eyes widened slightly. “All right, move over, then. Let’s chat.” She made her way over to sit on the bed. “So the artist and the ballet dancer, hm? I can’t say I’m surprised there was an attraction there.”_
> 
> _“We had a really long talk tonight. I… I think he likes me too. He called me beautiful,” Hawke added with a little grin._
> 
> _Bethany made a tiny noise of delight, covering her mouth with her hand as she smiled broadly. “That’s precious,” she said. “Have you two talked about it? Maybe you can make it work long distance or something. Who knows, maybe he’d even want to stay in Kirkwall.”_
> 
> _“I don’t know if he could just up and leave the dance troupe. I could… probably handle long distance,” came the response after a thoughtful pause. “It’s just been a really long time since… anybody caught my eye like that. I’ve teased Varric more than once that I might end up with him just because I’m getting older,” Hawke added playfully. “Don’t worry, that would never actually happen. Varric and I would kill each other.”_
> 
> _Bethany laughed. “Yes, yes you would, so I’m very glad you have another option now.” She grinned. “Oh, this is wonderful, sis. So… are you going to bring it up to Fenris? Maybe go out on a date?”_
> 
> _“I’m going to ask him.” Hawke nodded. “Maybe tomorrow. I invited him for dinner tonight sort of to test the waters, and he responded favorably so I’m thinking that’s a good sign. Let’s… not tell Mother just yet, though.”_
> 
> _“My lips are sealed,” she swore. “But I definitely want to be kept up to date - and I’ll definitely want details.”_
> 
> _“I will promise_ some _details,” Hawke replied with a laugh. “Not all. And if you can use your influence with Varric on my behalf, try to keep him out of my diary. He’s taken to_ editing _the entries.”_

 

* * *

 

“Maker’s breath,” said Varric with a laugh, “I haven’t done that in years. I actually forgot about it.”

“You used to edit her diary?” said Cassandra, sounding mildly indignant. “Not just read, but _edit?_ Oh, Varric, that’s terrible.”

“Hey, in my defense, some of those entries were really dry. They needed a little punching up.” Varric shrugged. “It’s not like she _hid_ her diary. It was out in plain sight, it was fair game. Hawke and I don’t often keep secrets from each other anyway.”

“Except one,” Hawke reminded him with a smirk.

“Except one,” he agreed. “Which shouldn’t count since I just assumed you’d kill me over it.”

“Too bad I didn’t find _your_ diary lying about somewhere,” Bethany teased him. “Things would have gone a lot faster.”

“Your sister reads my diary,” he pointed out, smiling. “I most certainly did not write anything incriminating in there.”

“Hmm...” said Bethany, in a way that said she knew more than she was letting on. “I think that’s a story for another day. Back to my sister and Fenris.”

 

* * *

 

> _Bethany tried not to laugh, and largely failed. “I’ll see what I can do,” she promised. “He claims he can’t say no to these eyes, so...”_
> 
> _“He can’t. It’s a scientific fact.” Hawke chuckled. “Maybe I’ll get a custom cover to put on my diary, make him think it’s Genitivi or something. Until then, keep batting those eyelashes.” She stood. “I’ll turn in. Don’t be up too late, okay?”_
> 
> _“I’ll try. I think I’m nearly finished. And then I’m going to collapse into bed, let me tell you. Good night, sis.”_
> 
> _“Sweet dreams.”_
> 
>  
> 
> _Hawke tried not to act like she was in too big of a hurry to get to the ballet troupe’s rehearsal the next day. She was, though, and she was concerned that her hastened steps gave her away. “Good morning,” she said to a few of the dancers as she entered the keep. “Please tell me there’s coffee, I didn’t have time to stop for any.”_
> 
> _“Of course,” one of them replied, waving to Hawke as she entered. “Coffee and bagels, over there on that table. Help yourself.” He pointed in the direction of a table, where Fenris was also lingering._
> 
> _“Thanks.” Well, that was convenient, and she fought down a grin as she made her way to the breakfast offerings. “Morning, Fenris.”_
> 
> _“Ah, good morning,” he said, looking up as she approached. “I hope you didn’t have your heart set on a cup of tea - I’m afraid I just made the last of it for myself.”_
> 
> _“That’s all right, as long as there’s coffee.” She appropriated a cup for herself. “I… hope you didn’t get back too late,” she added in a lower tone. “I didn’t realize how late it was until you left.”_
> 
> _“Nor did I._ Tempus fugit _and all that.” He smiled slightly, but it faded a bit as he stirred the contents of his cup. “Hopefully the substance of that… conversation wasn’t too much of a burden on you. Apparently I needed to tell someone the details of it more than I realized.”_
> 
> _“Not at all. I was glad to listen.” She drank her coffee, trying to decide how she wanted to handle this. “I’d… love to do it again sometime, if you want. I mean, you know. See you outside of here.”_
> 
> _“I would like that, I…” He paused, thought for a moment, then lifted an eyebrow. “Wait a moment… are you asking me… on a date?”_
> 
> _“That was the idea, but… if you’d rather not, we can just… go play cards with Varric. Or if you want to come help us beat up gangsters sometime, you can, probably.”_
> 
> _“No, I didn’t mean… all of those things sound excellent, certainly. But I wasn’t_ disagreeing _to the idea of a date, I was just…” He huffed. “You can probably understand now why I tend to keep people at arm’s length. But you are unlike any woman - any_ person _\- I have ever met. With you, it might be different.” He allowed himself to smile faintly. “In fact, I’m confident it would.”_
> 
> _A slow smile curled Hawke’s mouth. “Great. So, uh… how about tomorrow, then? Traditional dinner and a movie kind of thing?”_
> 
> _He nodded, looking pleased. “I look forward to it. We can leave when rehearsal is finished.”_
> 
> _“Okay. I’ll, uh, find out what’s playing and stuff, and… we’ll figure it out from there. Okay. See you later then, have a… a good rehearsal.”_
> 
> _“And you have a good… day. I’ll talk to you later.” He smiled at her, his tea all but forgotten._
> 
> _“Right.” Maker, she never saw a man smile so much. Her head was a little bit in the clouds as she wandered away to her paints, and paused there to text Bethany._
> 
> **_Asked him. He said yes. Dinner and a movie tomorrow night._ **
> 
> _A split second later came the response. **Ahhh! Yay!! How very exciting! Well done, sister, I’m so pleased!**_
> 
> **_So was he. He seems so confused by my interest and yet so pleased about it. It’s really endearing._ **
> 
> **_Oh, Maker, that’s adorable. So do you know where you’re going yet? Or what you’re seeing?_ **
> 
> **_I thought that theater outside the city might be good. You know, the one where you have dinner while you watch the movie? No idea what’s playing, I’ll have to check. Need to get some work done first._ **
> 
> **_Right, of course, I won’t hold you up. Just know I am very excited - can’t wait to hear all about it!_ **

 

* * *

 

Varric was rolling his eyes with some amusement. “I never want to hear again about how long-winded and overly detailed _my_ stories are.”

“Oh, quiet,” said Cass, who looked a little starry-eyed. “It’s adorable.”

“My apologies to the resident author _and_ critic,” Fenris said dryly, gesturing to Varric, then turning to Hawke. “I suppose we should skip ahead to the date itself?”

“Just for that, I ought to regale them with the details of my painting,” she retorted. “How I select a color, and clean the brushes... but I won’t do that to them. Yes, let’s jump ahead. We could probably even skip the details of the date itself - or rather the dates, since there were a number of them.”

“Right. Suffice to say, they were all beyond compare. And then came the last one,” said Fenris.

“The last one?” Leliana raised an eyebrow.

“Allow me to explain.”

 

* * *

 

> _“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a play,” Fenris remarked, as he and Hawke exited Kirkwall’s local playhouse several days later. “I know that probably sounds ridiculous, since I work in theaters. But I never have much time to see the productions for myself.”_
> 
> _“Actually, that makes perfect sense. You work hard,” she mused. “Are you anxious for the production at all? It’s almost here - Mother is looking forward to it.”_
> 
> _“I’m pleased to hear it,” he said. “As for any anxiety, a little. Stage fright never really goes away, no matter how long you perform - it just changes a bit. Oddly enough I do find myself a bit more nervous for this production than most others. I want this to go well.”_
> 
> _“I’m sure it will. Everything I’ve witnessed at the rehearsals has been exceptional… I’m not surprised you’re one of the leads.”_
> 
> _“Thank you.” He nodded. He was dancing the role of Captain Aristide, the man who launched the brutal investigation into Madrigal’s murder. “It’s nice to hear someone assure me I got the part on talent, and not just on my ability to scowl,” he joked._
> 
> _Hawke laughed. “Well, I’m sure the_ brooding demeanor _, as Varric always calls it, didn’t hurt anything,” she said, “but you do dance extremely well. So, um… did you want to come back to the house for a drink?”_
> 
> _He considered for a moment, then smiled slightly. “You know I’ll never say no to drinks in your company,” he remarked._
> 
> _“I wonder which you like better,” she teased as they turned in the direction of her neighborhood, “the company or the wine I keep.”_
> 
> _He chuckled. “The wine is certainly an additional benefit… but it’s the company that brings me back each time.”_
> 
> _“Good to know.”_
> 
> _Rather conveniently (Hawke thought), there didn’t seem to be anyone home when she and Fenris arrived. She led him up the stairs to the library, where the larger wine casks were stored. “Can I ask you something?” she inquired, and when he nodded she continued, “When you were here the first time, you seemed unenthused about the library. Do you not care for books much? I imagine you don’t get a lot of time to read during rehearsals, but I would think it would be something you’d enjoy while traveling.”_
> 
> _“Oh. It’s not that I don’t care for books much, it’s that…” He sighed, running his fingers along the spines of a few of the volumes. “I’m… very dyslexic. It doesn’t interfere with my work because there’s usually nothing to read - when I learn a dance, I learn by seeing it. And since I left school so early there’s… never really been anyone who has cared enough to help me work past it.”_
> 
> _“Ohh. I understand,” she said, maybe a little too earnestly. She set two glasses of wine on the table by the shelves. “Well, I - I know you won’t be here very much longer, but if you want, I could try to help you.”_
> 
> _“You would… you would do that?” As he usually did whenever she offered him a kindness, he looked surprised. “Isn’t it too late for me to learn?”_
> 
> _“My philosophy is that as long as you’re alive, it’s not too late.” She retrieved a book from one of the lower shelves. “This is a fairly easy one - it was actually a favorite of both of the twins when they were younger. It might be a good place to start.”_
> 
> _“All right, I’ll take your word for it.” He sat down with his wine glass. “I’m sure this isn’t the evening you bargained for - teaching me how to read.”_
> 
> _“Fenris, it may have escaped your notice,” she said with a chuckle, “but I rather like having you around. It doesn’t seem to matter very much what we’re doing at the time, I just… like having you here.”_
> 
> _He smiled at that. “And I like being here. I like… well, I enjoy... being with you.”_
> 
> _“Well, if you get the hang of this reading thing, maybe you can email me when you leave.” She tried not to look too disappointed at the idea._
> 
> _“Mm. Yes.” He also looked like he was wrestling with disappointment - and maybe a little sadness - at the impending end of his time in Kirkwall. “Just like the show must go on, I suppose it also must end. I’ve spent so much time running, you would think I’d be eager to get moving again. But now just the very thought of leaving is… disheartening to say the least.”_
> 
> _“Maybe you’ll need to find a way to come back, then.” She looked at him seriously. “I… don’t have a lot of experience with relationships. I’ve always been too busy taking care of things - my family, my jobs. But I’d be willing to try a long-distance thing.”_
> 
> _“You make a very tempting offer,” he replied, studying her. “I think you deserve better than the likes of me, though, Hawke. And yet… I find myself thinking of you. In fact, I’ve been able to think of little else since we met…”_
> 
> _“Really.” Her mouth was a little dry. “And… what are you thinking?”_
> 
> _“That I want… that you… well… maybe it’s easier if I show you.” He crossed over to her and, almost cautiously, leaned in to press his lips against hers in a brief kiss._
> 
> _“Oh. Well. I… was sort of… thinking the same thing,” she replied, before moving in for a longer one._

 

* * *

 

“Hold on, hold on.” Bethany was wincing a bit on the screen. “These are the details I really _don’t_ need…”

“You and me both, Sunshine.” Varric laughed, however. “I got enough out of her diary, I don’t need a rehash.”

Fenris chuckled and shook his head, holding up his hand. “All right, all right, but the next part is important.”

“And besides, it’s just kissing,” said Dorian with a scoff. “It’s not like he’s over there penning the next Fifty Shades of whatever ghastly abomination against literature that thing was.”

Varric’s eyes narrowed. “We do not speak of _that_. Point taken, however. Go on, Broody.”

 

* * *

 

> _Fenris closed his eyes, his mind a whirlwind of emotion as the kiss continued. And then, rather suddenly, something changed. What, he wasn’t sure - perhaps the way Hawke moved her head or simply just the way she touched him - but abruptly all the other emotions occupying his thoughts fell away to be replaced only be a quick bolt of terror. With a gasp, he jerked back, pushing slightly against her shoulders in order to create some distance between them._
> 
> _“F-Fenris?” That was hardly the reaction she’d expected. “What is it?”_
> 
> _“I’m… I’m sorry…” he panted, not quite meeting her eye. “It’s not you, it’s just… I thought I was ready for this, but something reminded me of… it’s too much. It’s too fast.”_
> 
> _“I… all right… we can slow down…” She was more than a little confused, since this didn’t seem fast at_ all _\- but he was the one who was upset, so she’d let him call the shots. “Uh. What do…”_
> 
> _He shut his eyes again, but there was pain in his expression this time. “I don’t know,” he muttered, shaking his head. “I’m sorry, I feel like such a fool. All I wanted was to be happy… just for a little while...” His voice trailed off in misery._
> 
> _“You still can be. I want you to be.” Was he going to leave? She wasn’t sure; it seemed like it, and that hurt, but maybe it was what he needed. “We can… work this out.”_
> 
> _“Maybe. I hope so.” He sighed. “I care about you, Hawke. And the thought of being with you is better than anything I could have dreamed. But I cannot do this… not yet.”_
> 
> _“I understand. At least, I’m trying to understand.” She half-smiled. “We can… work on your reading, instead, if you want.”_
> 
> _“You’re too kind.” He raked a hand through his hair. “If it... if you think it would be better for me to leave... just tell me and I’ll go.”_
> 
> _“I would never ask you to go.” Hawke’s voice was a little quiet, but sincere. “So if you’re waiting for me to tell you to leave, you’ll be waiting a long time.”_
> 
> _Fenris managed a tiny smile. “As long as I’m waiting with you,” he said, then sat back down. “Well... tell me about this book, then.”_

 

* * *

 

“That’s very sweet,” said Josie, her voice nearly a coo. “What happened next? Besides Fenris getting better at reading.”

“Well, the ballet performance was that weekend - the first performance, I should say,” Hawke clarified. “I took Mother and Bethany to opening night, Varric got a balcony for the four of us and Merrill. They were in town for three more weeks, and then it got extended for a fourth because they were selling out so often.”

“That’s exciting,” said Bull. “Dance is one thing I never had to do, myself. But you’re leading up to something.”

Hawke nodded, and exchanged a sad glance with her sister’s image on the tablet. “It was a few weeks later that we... lost Mother.”

Bethany shook her head with a grimace of pain. “It’s hard to believe it’s been so long,” she said. “Sometimes I feel like it was last week, not five years ago.”

“Me too.”

“May I ask... what happened?” Evvy had been quiet up to this point.

“Did you ever hear in Ostwick about the White Lily Murders?” Hawke asked.

“Yes, I - oh. _Oh_. Oh, I’m so sorry.”

Hawke nodded glumly. “Mother was the last. The detail about the victims receiving white lilies wasn’t widely known, and by the time I learned that she’d received some, she had already left. I should have _told_ her, but I never thought she was in danger. Anyway, she went to meet the man who sent her the lilies, and I got Varric and Aveline and we tracked them with Duke.” Her expression darkened. “He didn’t live to hurt anyone else. But by the time we found them, she was already... well... at least I got to say goodbye.”

Fenris took his wife’s hand. “Now it’s your turn to gloss over a painful subject if you wish,” he told her. “We don’t have to speak of this part if you don’t want to do so.”

She squeezed his fingers. “We’ll leave it at that,” she said. “I killed her killer, just… not fast enough. Maker willing, I never have to do anything like it again. Anyway, I broke the news to Uncle Gamlen - that was rough. He’s useless, but he did love my mother. Beth was at school at the time, so I was alone in the house until Fenris arrived.”

“You weren’t there, Varric?” Cassandra glanced at him in surprise.

He shrugged. “Someone had to tell Sunshine. You think I was going to leave it to Gamlen? He’s got all the tact and discretion of your average dracolisk.”

“Varric took excellent care of me, as usual,” Bethany said warmly. “And Fenris took care of Marian.”

“I don’t really know how much help I was.” Fenris shrugged. “But as soon as I heard, I knew I had to try.”

 

* * *

 

> _Hawke was sitting on her bed, elbows propped on her knees, staring into her fireplace. She didn’t even register anyone’s presence until she heard the familiar voice speak. “I don’t know what to say, but... I am here.”_
> 
> _Slowly she raised her head. “How... how did you hear?”_
> 
> _“Some of the other dancers were talking about it,” Fenris said, making his way over slowly. “I guess they heard the rumors when they went to the market. As soon as I learned the details, I all but ran over here.” He shook his head. “Hawke... I’m so sorry.”_
> 
> _“It’s my fault. I knew about the lilies... I should have warned her. I just never thought...” She sighed. “I couldn’t get there in time.”_
> 
> _“It’s_ not _your fault,” he insisted, carefully sitting down next to her. “You did the best you could. I know that probably isn’t comforting, but it’s the truth.”_
> 
> _She sighed, and nodded. “I’ll try to believe it. It’s not easy. Do you ever hear from your mother? You don’t talk much about your family.”_
> 
> _He shook his head. “It’s been so long, I’m not even sure what’s become of them. When I was first found by Danarius, I was still able to send my parents and sister a little money. As you can imagine, that became more and more impossible as time went on…”_
> 
> _“Maybe once your reading improves, you can find them. Facebook, or something,” she offered lamely. “I’m sorry, I... I barely know what I’m saying.”_
> 
> _“It’s all right. You don’t have to be coherent… not at a time like this.” Slowly, carefully, he put his arm around her shoulder. “They say death is only a journey... I don’t know if that helps you, but I’ve always agreed with it.”_
> 
> _Hawke nodded, and sighed. “At least she and my father are together again. Carver too.”_
> 
> _“That’s something. At least none of them are alone. And you’re not alone either, Hawke - you have Bethany, and Varric, and all of your friends. And... for what it’s worth, you have me.”_
> 
> _She looked at him, eyes liquid. “Well. For what it’s worth... that’s worth a lot,” she said after a moment._
> 
> _He nodded slightly at that. After a brief pause, he spoke again. “Do you want to talk? Or would you prefer we just sit here? Either way, I’m here.”_
> 
> _“Sitting here sounds like all I can handle right now. Thank you, Fenris.”_
> 
> _“You’re welcome.” He guided her head to his shoulder and gave her a comforting squeeze. “Whatever you need, Hawke.”_
> 
>  

* * *

 

“Oh, that’s so lovely,” Cassandra said with a sigh. “You two truly are made to be together.”

“And that’s coming from Skyhold Academy’s resident romantic,” said Bethany warmly, wearing a massive smile. “Well, _one_ of them, at least. There’s a lot of us - we should start a club.”

“I’d be down for that, as the kids like to say,” said Josie with a giggle. “We can share questionable reading material and gossip.”

“Don’t you do that already?” Varric joked.

“Yes, but there's nothing like a good excuse to do so even more.” Leliana grinned.

“Is this a subtle hint for me to crank out more fluff like _Swords and Shields_? Because I still consider that the worst thing I’ve ever written - Sparkler, I can see you opening your mouth.”

“What?” Dorian said innocently. “Everyone always says you and I are at each other's throats; I was going to agree with you this time. You all should be pleased.”

“We know you too well to think you’re really at each other’s throats,” said Evvy with a grin. “But if Varric wants to write more fluff, I for one am not about to object.”

“Hmm. I’ll think about it, Siren. There’s certainly plenty of material around here for inspiration,” he added teasingly. “I was even thinking of adding a romance subplot to that Orlesian thriller I started over the summer.”

“You absolutely should,” said Cassandra, a tad emphatically. “And you should absolutely give me details. But... later. We're interrupting the Hawkes.”

“That we are. Suppose we jump ahead to the good stuff? I know that’s what everyone wants to hear,” Varric added, flashing his best friend a grin.

“Probably,” Fenris commented, also smiling at Hawke.

“How were you able to stay in Kirkwall, Fenris?” Cullen asked. “You were still in the city when I was finishing my degree, so something must have kept you there?”

“Our show continued. For good reason...”

 

* * *

 

> _Out of respect for the situation surrounding the White Lily Murders, as they came to be known, Fenris’s troupe halted performances for a week. This of course necessitated an even longer stay in Kirkwall, but no one seemed to mind._
> 
> _“Fenris,” said Hawke, a week after her mother was laid to rest, “I just heard that your troupe is going to be donating the profits from a few of the shows to a memorial for the murder victims. Is it true?”_
> 
> _“Yes, they’re specifically going to be charity performances,” he told her. “The director took some convincing, but once he was shown how worthy the cause was, he relented.”_
> 
> _“This was your idea, wasn’t it?” She gave him a soft, luminous smile. “Thank you, I… I don’t have words. Bethany and I will be fine, but the families of the other victims... they can really use this help.”_
> 
> _“Good, if we can help at all, I hope we can. I don’t want any credit for it, though - this should be about the victims and their families, not us in the troupe. But this is the first time I’ve seen you smile in a week.” He likewise smiled. “That’s enough for me.”_
> 
> _“I’m just glad you’re still here. Want to come to the Hanged Man for cards later? Bethany returned to classes today, and I really don’t want to be in the house alone.”_
> 
> _“Of course, I wouldn’t miss it,” he promised. “Are you all right until then? Do you want to stay?”_
> 
> _“If no one minds… I wouldn’t mind watching you practice. Aveline’s working and Varric’s been dragged to a meeting of the merchants’ guild for once - he usually manages to escape them but this one was unavoidable for some reason.” She shrugged. “I’d rather not be by myself, and if I can be where you are that’s even better.”_
> 
> _He smiled again. “You’re always welcome where I am, Hawke.”_
> 
>  
> 
> _The news Varric brought, however, when they joined him at the Hanged Man later showed that he hadn’t_ actually _been meeting with the merchants’ guild. “I had to say that because it was very hush-hush,” he explained. “I was actually meeting with President Theirin - you know, the guy running Ferelden? - and a friend of his. In about a year or so they’re planning to open some kind of special school and they’re interested in having me teach language arts. And since my best friend is becoming such a well-known artist, I promised I would ask her about coming to the next meeting to talk about maybe becoming their art teacher.”_
> 
> _Fenris paused from where he had been shuffling a deck of cards and immediately looked over at Hawke. “An art teacher? That’s an exciting prospect.”_
> 
> _“Where is this school, Varric?” Hawke asked curiously._
> 
> _“They call it Skyhold. Some ancient castle nestled in the Frostbacks,” he reported. “It’s to be a boarding school for special kids - scholarship based, but we’re talking about kids who’ve been orphaned or abused or other unpleasant stuff like that. I met President Theirin a while back, helped him with some stuff related to his inheritance. I guess that’s why he reached out to me.” He shrugged. “He’s bankrolling the bulk of it, but I said I’d kick in some of the funding too.”_
> 
> _“That sounds like an extremely worthy cause.” Fenris looked around. “Should I… leave? If this is private, would you like to discuss it without me hearing details I shouldn’t know?”_
> 
> _“Nah, I’ll leave most of the details for the next meeting. Hawke can get the details herself from President Theirin,” Varric assured him. “We’re here to play cards, and I need to redeem myself from losing to the dog last time.”_
> 
> _“At least until he decides to go sleep,” said Fenris with a faint chuckle, dealing the cards. “So we should take advantage of him being here while we can.”_
> 
> _Duke barked approvingly, and everyone laughed. Sure enough, he soon wandered off to sack out next to the fire, but while retrieving fresh drinks from the taproom, Hawke found a replacement player._

 

* * *

 

“That was you, Curly!” Varric chuckled. “Fenris told that story at the bachelor party.”

“It was me indeed.” Cullen smiled. “Glad I could help replace the dog.” He laughed, then held up a hand. “I’m kidding, of course. It was a really nice evening, and I enjoyed meeting all of you. The Kirkwall crew was extraordinary in helping me work through my own issues over time.”

“Well, we know some of what came next,” said Leliana. “Fenris eventually left Kirkwall with his troupe, and Hawke and Varric - along with the rest of you, except Evvy - were recruited to teach at our very special school with our very special children.”

“I assume the reading lessons continued,” added Josie, “which enabled you to maintain contact.”

“Right,” said Hawke, “but that wasn’t all. Before I came to Skyhold, I continued what I was doing in Kirkwall - selling the occasional painting by day, helping Aveline hunt down gangs at night. Gradually, we began to piece together the intelligence we needed to confirm that they were all being bankrolled, to use Varric’s word, by a single source which was on a campaign to control the drug market in the Free Marches.”

“Yeah,” said Varric, grimacing a bit. “It was getting pretty hairy for a while - Hawke actually started carrying a gun for protection. We even talked behind Sunshine’s back about sending her to Ferelden to finish her degree, because things were starting to seem so dangerous.”

“As if I would have left,” Bethany said, shaking her head fondly. “It _was_ starting to seem a bit dangerous, certainly - and I did run with the group a little less than I might have done - but I wouldn’t have left.”

“That’s the same conclusion we reached,” Hawke replied with a grin, “which is why we never bothered discussing it with you. We seriously considered it, but we knew in the end we couldn’t budge you.”

“She’s more stubborn than she looks,” Varric added, his tone affectionate.

“One of my many good qualities,” she said with a teasing grin. “But anyway - yes, things started getting bad. But we were well on our way to discovering who was responsible for our gang issue.”

“Three guesses who,” Fenris growled.

There were a few gasps. “You mean - Danarius?” asked Cassandra, almost disbelievingly.

“Yes. Danarius.”

“Like I said, that company went out of business for a good reason,” Bethany commented.

“So how did you - I mean, you got him, right?” asked Evvy.

Hawke nodded. “It’s part of the reason I was named Champion of Kirkwall,” she admitted. “I lured him to an ambush and we took him down. That was sort of the easy part - the hard part was convincing Fenris to come back and testify against him. He didn’t want to be in the same city with his old employer, and I couldn’t exactly blame him, but his testimony was vital.”

“I didn’t particularly want to be in the same _country_ as Danarius, let alone in the same city. Of course I had to, but I definitely did take some convincing.” 

 

* * *

 

> _“Fenris, I’m - I have news,” said Hawke, when she was finally able to call him._
> 
> _“Is everything all right?” he asked, immediately feeling a pang of concern._
> 
> _“We’re fine,” she assured him. “It’s… well, it’s Danarius. It turns out he’s the one who’s been responsible for all the gang activity here. And we… have him. We’ve got him in custody.”_
> 
> _There was a long pause. “He’s in custody?” Fenris repeated at last. “He’s really in custody? Hawke, that’s… I hardly know what to say.”_
> 
> _“We need your help, Fenris.” Her voice turned slightly pleading. “Your testimony - it’s exactly what’s needed to put him away for good. Sink him into prison for the rest of his miserable life. Can you - will you - come back?”_
> 
> _“Hawke… Hawke,_ no _… I - I_ can’t _.” There was a note of panic in his voice, uncharacteristic for Fenris._
> 
> _“I understand,” she said soothingly. “I know, you don’t want to be anywhere near him. I don’t want you near him either. But you know more about the horrors he’s inflicted than anyone. I swear I won’t let him touch you, I won’t let him look at you if I can possibly help it.”_
> 
> _He sighed and was silent for several seconds. When he spoke again, he still sounded apprehensive, but seemed a bit reassured. “I know you won’t. And you’re… you’re confident my testimony will help make sure he never sees the light of day again?”_
> 
> _“I’ve talked about it with the district attorney. He feels the case is pretty solid regardless, but your testimony could mean the difference between a chance of parole and no chance at all.”_
> 
> _“Well… all right. If it means I can help make sure what happened to me never happens to anyone else again… then I’ll do it.”_
> 
> _She heaved a sigh of relief. “Thank you, love. I’ll email you the details about when, and make your flight arrangements. You can… you can stay here at the house, if you want.” The endearment had slipped out so easily, she didn’t even realize it._
> 
> _It was not lost on Fenris however, who was grateful Hawke couldn’t see him, as he almost dropped his phone and had to fumble to keep it in his hand. “Erm… yes… you’re welcome… I…” He cleared his throat. “Anyway, yes, staying at the house sounds excellent. In spite of the task that’s bringing me back to Kirkwall… I’m glad it means I get to see you.”_
> 
> _“You’ll be sick of me by the time you’re ready to leave,” she said fondly. “I have a couple new books for you too. Your reading has really improved.”_
> 
> _“I could never possibly get sick of you, Hawke.” He chuckled. “As for the reading, it’s all thanks to you. I think I might start a GoodReads account at this rate.”_
> 
> _The smile was in her voice. “I can’t wait to see you. Even if you’re coming here for a terrible reason… I’ve missed you.”_
> 
> _He sighed, a little longingly. “And I’ve missed you. I never expected long distance to be so difficult.”_
> 
> _“It’s definitely not my favorite thing - but I’d rather have a long-distance_ something _with you than an up close and personal anything with anyone else.”_
> 
> _“I’m still not sure I deserve you, Hawke,” he said, smiling. “But I’m not complaining.”_
> 
> _“I’ll see you soon, broody boy. Not soon enough, but soon.”_
> 
> _“I will count the hours. And I don’t brood,” he reminded her, chuckling._

 

* * *

 

“So was there a terribly romantic reunion at the airport?” asked Josie. She and Cass looked particularly eager. “Flowers? Fierce embraces? Anything?”

“Well... my flight was delayed for two hours.” Fenris chuckled slightly. “That tends to ruin any romantic reunion. But when I finally got there...” He glanced over at his wife and smiled. “Nothing surpassed the feeling of seeing her waiting there.”

“I did not bring him flowers.” Hawke laughed. “But there was Aggregio waiting at the house, and some dinner. After two extra hours on the plane, I think he preferred that to flowers.”

“More than I could express.” He chuckled again. “Probably not the reunion you would read about in a novel, but exactly what both of us needed when we needed it.”

“That trial was a nightmare,” Varric recalled. “Danarius hired the slipperiest lawyer he could find to try to get him off on every technicality in existence. He actually did manage to skate on one or two of the least pressing charges, if I remember correctly.”

“The sad part is, it wasn't the least bit surprising,” said Fenris. “I _hated_ seeing him get off on even one charge, but...” He smirked. “The largest charges stuck.”

“Thanks in no small part to Broody’s damning testimony,” Varric added. “Oh, the look on Danarius’s face when the judge sentenced him to life without parole... it was sweet. Probably sweeter even for you than for us, Broody.”

“Beyond words,” Fenris confirmed. “The testimony… was awful. But I found Hawke in the crowd and said the whole thing to her. I tried to pretend it was just like that night at dinner. And then to hear the guilty verdict… made it all worth it.”

“I was so proud of you,” said Hawke, warmly. “I still am. It took courage to do what you did.”

The statement clearly meant a lot to him. “Honestly, I was only able to do it because of your encouragement. Without you... well, who knows what would have happened. I'm just grateful I never have to find out.”

“So once you no longer had that hanging over your head,” said Evvy, curiously, “what happened next?”

“Well, he couldn’t stay long once the trial was over,” said Hawke. “He had to get back to the troupe. And we moved forward with plans to open Skyhold, and a few months later, Varric and I relocated here.”

“Knowing Danarius was behind bars gave me some ease, but it didn’t fix everything,” said Fenris. “I still needed some time. Things got a bit... interesting after that.”

“Interesting how?” asked Bull.

“Well, after a bit of thinking, I realized I was ready to put the past behind me - to be with Hawke after all. So, the first available chance I had, I made my way to Kirkwall to tell her how I felt… and she wasn’t there.”

“That’s because I was here, of course,” she added. “But since Fenris hadn’t ever been to the school, he didn’t really know where ‘here’ was, and he panicked a little. Right, sis?”

“He did, at that.” Bethany nodded sympathetically. “Poor man had his dates wrong - thought Marian was going to be in Kirkwall for a month longer than she was. So when he got to Kirkwall and found out she was somewhere in the middle of the Frostbacks, he was...”

“Not thrilled,” Fenris finished for her, dryly.

“That’s when Bethany called me,” Varric concluded.

 

* * *

 

> _“What’s going on, Sunshine? You don’t usually call in the middle of the day - is everything all right?”_
> 
> _“Well, yes and no. It’s Fenris,” she explained. “He showed up to find Marian - of course, he had no idea Marian is up there at the school.”_
> 
> _“He did, huh? Well, that’s… interesting. You want to maybe get him on the plane to Denerim? I can get her over there to meet him if I have the flight information.” The wheels were turning._
> 
> _“Oh! Oh, could you? That would be amazing. Yes, let me start looking at flights right now and I’ll let you know what I find ASAP.”_
> 
> _“That’s my girl. Let’s get these two where they need to be - with each other.”_
> 
> _“I couldn’t agree more,” she said brightly. “Sounds like you have an idea forming.”_
> 
> _“I might have seen one or two sappy movies,” he acknowledged. “You look after Broody, I’ll take care of your big sis. Text me the details when you’ve got him set.”_
> 
> _“You’ve got it. Thanks, Varric - I knew you’d have the answer.”_
> 
> _“Don’t I always?” He chuckled as they hung up, and waited patiently for the details to come._
> 
> _Once they did, and he knew for sure that Fenris would be landing in Denerim around dinnertime, he texted Hawke. **I have to go to Denerim to get something tonight. Come with me? It won’t be nearly as much fun without you.**_
> 
> **_Not getting into trouble, are you?_** _she replied._
> 
> **_No more than usual, although I doubt you find that comforting._ **
> 
> **_Not even a little. But, if you ARE getting into trouble, I would hate to not be there for it, so count me in._** _After a moment, a second text followed. **Although it occurs to me I should ask - what exactly do you need to get in Denerim anyway?** _
> 
> **_I’m picking up a certain someone at the airport, actually. Someone flying in from Kirkwall as a surprise for you. But don’t let on that I ruined the surprise._ ** _He smirked, deliberately wording it to sound like Bethany was coming for a visit._
> 
> **_Oh! Well in that case I’m definitely on board. I promise I won’t let on that I know - I just hope this isn’t interfering with her post-college job search._ **
> 
> **_I think I can guarantee that it’s not. We’ll leave around four, in case the traffic’s bad._ **
> 
> _It was a struggle to keep his face relatively impassive as they borrowed one of the school’s cars and headed for the other side of the small country. “Good thing Ferelden’s not any bigger,” he noted, chuckling. “They should get a couple more airports, though. Maybe put one in Redcliffe, that’d make our lives easier.”_
> 
> _“Mm, yes.” She glanced over at him, looking faintly amused. “Why do I get the feeling there’s something you’re not telling me?”_
> 
> _“Hawke, if there was something I wasn’t telling you, then telling you would kind of defeat the purpose, don’t you think?”_
> 
> _“You know, sometimes I can’t tell if you’re the greatest best friend on the planet or the worst,” she teased, grinning slightly. She did not, however, push the matter._
> 
> _“Obviously the greatest. So, how about a round of Twenty Questions?”_
> 
> _“I still feel like you’re trying to divert me from something, but sure, I’ll play a game. And considering a Fereldan game of ‘I Spy’ consists of calling out different shades of brown, I think Twenty Questions sounds like as good a game as any. All right, animal, vegetable, or mineral then?”_
> 
> _In this way they managed to kill the three-hour drive to Denerim. Varric was growing more and more smug as they entered the airport and headed to the appropriate terminal. “Ready to act surprised?”_
> 
> _Hawke chuckled. “You can tell me how my surprised face looks,” she remarked with a grin._
> 
> _“I’ll be watching,” he promised, looking up at the sign which announced the arriving flight from Kirkwall. “Here we go...”_
> 
> _As soon as the white-haired dancer appeared, Varric looked at Hawke to examine her surprised face. “Yep, that’s a good one.”_
> 
> _“I...” Hawke’s jaw was almost on the floor._ “Fenris? _”_
> 
> _“Hawke!” It very clearly took Fenris every ounce of restraint he had not to push his way through the crowd when he saw her. When he finally had a clear path, he all but ran to meet her. “I thought you were still in Kirkwall.”_
> 
> _“No, not for the past month,” she managed, extending her hands to him as he approached. “I could have sworn I mentioned it but maybe not… what are you doing here?”_
> 
> _“I’ve had some time to think… to mull everything over,” he said, taking both of her hands as he spoke. “There was still a lot I needed to process after the trial. But I’ve realized… well, I want you to know that meeting you was the most important thing that ever happened to me, Hawke, and I honestly can’t bear the thought of living without you.” He freed one of his hands in order to stroke her hair. “I want to be with you. I’m_ ready _to be with you. Not just… not just long distance.”_
> 
> _“I’ll just be over here, then,” said Varric, chuckling, as Hawke responded to this assertion by kissing Fenris firmly._
> 
> _This time, there was not a flash of terror, just euphoria, and he let himself enjoy all of it. It would amuse him later to think that he and Hawke probably looked like a scene out of some romantic movie - the two of them wrapped in an embrace, kissing in the middle of the Denerim airport. When he finally came up for air, he placed a hand on Hawke’s cheek, stroking it as he spoke. “I honestly don’t know how we’re going to work this,” he admitted. “All I know is that nothing is going to keep me from you.”_
> 
> _“It’ll still need to be a long-distance relationship, probably,” she conceded, breathless. “Most of the time. But it’ll feel better… knowing that we’re really…_ together _.”_
> 
> _“I’m sorry I kept you waiting this long. I promise I will never make you wait again,” he swore, his arms still around her waist. “You know I love you, don’t you?”_

 

* * *

 

“ _Awwwwww!_ ” shrieked Cass, Josie, and Evvy all together.

“How romantic,” Cass gushed. “And then you - you eloped? I know you came back that weekend and said you’d gotten married. At least, I assume that was the weekend!”

“It was,” Hawke confirmed. “Once I could function again, I told him that no, actually, I _didn’t_ know that, but I was glad to hear it because it was very, very mutual.” She laughed.

“I may have wandered back in time to interrupt an actual proposal. I assure you, it was not intentional,” Varric added.

“I wish I could say that I had everything planned like some incredibly suave sort of Casanova,” said Fenris, looking amused. “But really, all I knew was that I had to find her and tell her what was on my mind. The rest just… happened. I knew nothing was ever going to keep me from her, so the rest of it fell into place really.”

“So, like the true best friend I am, I disrupted this moment to let Hawke go to the ladies’ room and blow her nose.” Varric laughed. “Which gave Broody the chance to ask me for my blessing, more or less.”

“I don’t know if I’d exactly call it that,” Fenris said with a chuckle. “But it was an interesting little talk.”

 

* * *

 

> _“I’m glad you two have yourselves sorted out finally,” Varric said, once Hawke was out of earshot. “Just make her happy. You do that better than anybody I’ve seen.”_
> 
> _“And she does the same for me,” Fenris said, still looking in the direction Hawke had disappeared. “Anything I can do to make her happy, I will do it until there’s no longer breath in my body.”_
> 
> _“Well, then, I think we’re on the same page. Suppose I go get us some seats on the next flight back to Kirkwall?” Varric grinned. “If you two are going to elope, Sunshine needs to be there or_ _she_ _will_ not _be happy.”_
> 
> _“I would never dream of eloping without Bethany present, I assure you. Speaking of, someone should maybe call her - let her know what’s going on.”_
> 
> _“I’ll let big sister do the honors. Don’t want to be accused of stealing her thunder.” Varric smiled as Hawke returned. “I’ll take care of the flight, you call your bridesmaid.”_
> 
> _“My - oh! Right!” She pulled out her phone, still looking dazed and delighted, and called Bethany. “Sis?”_
> 
> _“Hi, Marian. I, um... I trust everything went off without a hitch?” Bethany said, almost cautiously, not wanting to ruin the surprise if things_ hadn’t _actually gone off without a hitch._
> 
> _“Funny you should say_ hitch _.” Hawke chuckled. “We’re heading back to Kirkwall for exactly that purpose. Can you spare some time from the job search for a bit? I need a second witness.”_
> 
> _“I don’t understand,” Bethany replied. “What are you... oh!” A long pause followed, and had Hawke been able to see her sister, she would have seen the younger Hawke staring at her phone in slackjawed astonishment. Then, she squealed in complete delight. “Marian! Marian, are you serious? You’re not teasing me right now, are you?”_
> 
> _“Fenris,” said Hawke, “Bethany wants to know if I’m teasing her. Do you want to tell her, since she doesn’t believe me?”_
> 
> _Fenris chuckled and accepted the phone. “Hello, Bethany. I can assure you your sister is not joking, this is really happening. We’re really going to elope.”_
> 
> _“Maker’s breath, Fenris! Oh, when you get back to Kirkwall, I’m hugging you, this is delightful! Put my sister back on.”_
> 
> _Hawke reclaimed the phone. “Varric’s getting tickets - the three of us will be there as soon as possible. I’ll call you when we land.”_
> 
> _“All right, yes, great, okay. I’ll be ready when you get back. Maker, I can hardly form coherent sentences.” She laughed. “Oh, I can’t wait, I’m so excited. This is wonderful, sis, I’m so thrilled for you!”_
> 
> _“Thanks. Me too,” she admitted, laughing. “Oh, I’ll tell you all about it. It was unbelievable.”_
> 
> _“Speaking of unbelievable,” said Varric, returning, “the price on first-class tickets is getting a little out of hand. But I’ve got them.”_
> 
> _“Thank you, Varric - for the tickets and for arranging this little meeting,” said Fenris. “I admit, I couldn’t have made it here without you.”_
> 
> _“You just keep making my best friend happy and we’ll call it even.”_

 

* * *

 

“Aw, Varric, you old softy,” Leliana teased him.

“Mmhmm,” Bethany agreed, smiling on the screen. “If the whole staff didn’t already know you’re secretly a sweetheart, they certainly do now. But who am I kidding - our whole relationship proves they definitely already knew.”

“You’re ruining my reputation, Sunshine,” he complained in that mock-grumpy tone which fooled approximately no one. “Well, we headed back to the Marches, collected Bethany, and went to the Chantry to get the whole thing done. Very simple, very straightforward, just the four of us and a revered mother.”

“Certainly not the most romantic wedding of all time,” Fenris conceded, “But it didn’t need to be fancy in order to be the best day of my life.”

He was rewarded with a few more _aww_ s for that. “And now here you are, four years later,” said Bull, picking up his glass. “To the Hawkes - may you keep flying.”

“To the Hawkes!” chorused the staff as coffee cups were lifted. “Hear, hear!”

Fenris bowed his head. “Thank you, everyone. We appreciate it.” He retrieved his own mug and turned to face his wife. “It’s been quite the journey, but every journey goes a little bit more smoothly with the right partner - and I wouldn’t trade mine for the world. To the woman who quite literally changed my life.”

“I’ll take you to stranger places yet, just watch,” she teased. “To the man who dropped into my life in ballet flats and never found his way offstage. May the music never stop.”

“And with the kind of timing that could really only happen in a work of fiction, here’s the cake,” said Varric, getting to his feet and moving to assist the newly-arriving Solas. “It even made it here in one piece, well done Chuckles.”

“It almost didn’t a few times,” he replied with a smirk, before turning to Hawke and Fenris. “Happy anniversary to the Hawkes.” He nodded. “I didn’t miss much, did I?”

Everyone simply laughed.


	7. In War, Victory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wintersend at Skyhold part one. It's the first Wintersend in Skyhold Academy history that the students are allowed to spend at the school! Snowball fights, Monopoly games, and secret admirers ensue. As you would expect, there's plenty of "so cute it's stupid" to go around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry, Skyhold Academy isn't really going to war. ;) But between the snowball fight and the Monopoly game - not to mention Josie's battle with the budget - there certainly are a lot of victories to be won. So the Grey Warden motto just fit this and the next two chapters too perfectly to not crib from it.
> 
> We're approaching the end of this particular volume of Skyhold Academy Yearbook, but there's plenty more on the way after that. And I think (or hope, rather) you'll enjoy what we have planned! :)

* * *

**In War, Victory**

* * *

It was about a month into the school year; most people weren’t thinking ahead to Wintersend yet, but Josephine was. She sat at her desk, crunching numbers, consulting some letters, occasionally tapping at a calculator with the end of her pencil. After a moment, her face broke into a smile, and she snatched the paper she had been working on, all but jogging up to the Headmistress’s office. She knocked, and entered at Leliana’s musical call of “Come in.” Leliana grinned immediately, setting down her cup of tea.

“Why, Josie - I haven’t seen you this excited since Dorian’s friend Maevaris sent that shipment of Carastian candies,” she said playfully. “What’s put you in such a good mood?”

“The budget,” Josephine answered.

“The budget? Not usually something that makes people smile.”

“Well, this one does.” She was a little breathless from her hurried trek through the castle, and she took a moment to gulp. “I planned everything out and if my math is correct... I think we’ll be able to keep the students here for Wintersend.”

Leliana’s eyes widened. “Really? Let me see.” She took the paper as Josephine handed it over and scanned it carefully. “Oh. Oh, wonderful!” she said after a moment. “How did you make this work?”

“A few favors called in here and there, a few strings pulled, a few sponsorships.”

“Josie, this is brilliant. I’ve always hated sending the students back to those places – now we don’t have to.”

The cost of keeping the students for Wintersend was always just out of reach, since doing so meant keeping the non-teaching staff in the castle for almost two additional weeks – not to mention paying for the heat, electricity, and other utilities for parts of the castle that wouldn’t normally be used were the students not there. And, since the school itself already received so many grants and favors from President Theirin and Vice President Guerrin, the usual avenues of money were often closed from them in their pursuit. As a result, the students went back to the orphanages or to stay with more fortunate friends or, if their homes were too dangerous, to the homes of neighbors or other relatives. Wintersend and summer were always stressful times for the headmistress, as she constantly worried about the children who were otherwise in her charge.

“Not only can they be here and safe for the holiday season, but they can have _fun_ too.” Josephine clapped her hands together.

“Indeed,” said Leliana. “We’ll check everything over once more, maybe twice more - just to make absolutely certain it will work. Then we should tell the students as soon as we can so they can make arrangements. Ah, well done.”

“Thank you.” Josie looked nothing short of overjoyed, a look the headmistress shared, as they sat down and began to recheck each number.

* * *

With the math having proved very correct indeed, the guidance counselor and headmistress called a meeting of the staff in which Josie presented her findings. Each member of the staff was just as pleased by the news as the two women were.

“Really? They can stay?” Cullen remarked first, smiling. “They can really stay?”

“They really can,” Leliana replied warmly.

“You know, for a lot of them, this will probably be the first real Wintersend they’ve ever had,” Cassandra mused.

“Leliana and were discussing that a bit, actually,” Josie added. “I think we should pull out the stops for them. Make it the most memorable Wintersend we can.”

“Between this and the arrival of the mabari, the next few months are going to be full of memories,” said Hawke. “Which is good, because the past several months haven’t been full of any,” she added, snickering. There was a general chuckle in response.

That night at dinner, Leliana had the distinct pleasure of being able to report to the student body that they, for the first time, were going to be allowed to stay at the school for Wintersend should they so choose. To say they were excited was the understatement of the age, and the staff all watched fondly as the student body turned into a whirlwind of excited planning.

“The only downside is I have no idea how they’ll be able to focus on school work now,” the headmistress said, laughing as she sat back down.

Somehow, however, they did. Perhaps it was because they didn’t want to disappoint their teachers; perhaps because they wanted to be worthy of their first Wintersend together; or perhaps because of the irrepressible Skyhold spirit. But, whatever the reason, they worked diligently as the months wore on.

Wintersend was not the only thing on their minds, of course. The announcement that Mrs. Rutherford was expecting set the students into an overjoyed tilt once more. (Madam Giselle was actually worried a few of the students would faint, although her fears did not come to pass.) And the arrival of the mabari was, as the staff had predicted, a cause for much celebration as well – and not just for the students. Cullen, having the love of dogs that was an oft-cited hallmark of Ferelden, was right in his element among the new arrivals. In the end, much to the joy of both of his parents, Cole was chosen by a soft white pup and seemed to fall in love with her almost immediately.

In this joyful manner, the fall passed by quickly, heralding in another Fereldan winter.

* * *

It was pure coincidence that Cole named his new mabari puppy “Snow” a mere two days before the most glorious snowfall in recent Skyhold memory - but it nevertheless contributed to the magic. The entire school was buzzing as the students awoke to a courtyard washed white with snow the weekend of Wintersend. And, with it being the first holiday season the students could spend at the school, the joy only further increased.

“I will admit, it’s nice to have a white Wintersend,” Cullen said that morning to the family over breakfast. “Although Fereldan winters are cold enough without adding near blizzard conditions to the mix.”

“At least it makes me feel less guilty about not going back to Ostwick,” Evvy mused. “I can tell them with perfect honesty that travel is simply not an option right now. Though I definitely must go home for a visit before the baby comes,” she added, putting her hands on the tiny swell of her abdomen. “I hope Varric and Hawke don’t have too hard a time collecting Bethany from the airport - she landed before all this happened, right?”

“From the sound of it, she got in right in the nick of time,” he reported. “I just hope the roads are passable enough. I think we’ll all breathe a sigh of relief when everyone’s back here in Skyhold where they belong. At least the students didn’t have to make their way back too.”

“Good.” She paused, and slowly smiled. “Do you remember what happened on my birthday, love?”

He likewise paused, thinking. “Well, there was the hide and seek game, of course. And… and you mentioned a school wide snowball fight. Darling… how did you make a blizzard happen on command?” He raised an eyebrow teasingly.

“That would be telling.” She laughed. “Think the others will be on board?”

He chuckled. “Of course. But… my darling…” He held out his arms, almost as if in pleading. “A snowball fight, in your condition?”

“Yeah, that was some lousy planning,” she admitted. “I may have to content myself with recording the madness on my phone.”

He looked immediately and enormously relieved by this fact, and let out a little sigh. “Well, I’m sorry you can’t partake. But I’m sure there will be another opportunity down the line. And I promise I’ll get one or two good throws in on your behalf.”

“I suppose I can be persuaded to be okay with that.” She kissed him. “Come on, let’s go find the others.”

He nodded his agreement, his hand resting briefly on the curve of her stomach before he took her hand in his own.

* * *

The snow was deep, glistening in the sunlight as they bundled up and made their way across the courtyard to the main hall. Almost immediately, they encountered Dorian, who was desperately attempting to stoke the little blaze in the corner fireplace. It was common knowledge to every soul in Skyhold that Dorian detested the cold - at the moment, he was in what appeared to be no less than three sweaters of varying length and thickness, something only he could really pull off. He grumbled to himself as he set about his task, but he brightened at once when he saw the Rutherfords enter the hall.

“You look less than delighted with the weather, Dori,” Evvy greeted him, moving to kiss his cheek. “My poor Fairy Godfather. What is it your friend Mae calls you? A hothouse orchid?”

“Yes, Mae always was very colorful - although she’s not necessarily wrong.” He grinned, squeezing Evvy’s hand. “It’s disgustingly cold - I don’t know how you Southerners stand it. How are you faring in this weather, my dear?”

“Well, it’s not my favorite - especially now,” she added meaningfully. “The Marches are warmer than Ferelden, so last year was quite the adjustment and this year is even colder. I’m very much on your team here.”

“My poor darling,” Cullen fretted, wrapping his arms around his wife’s shoulders. “You should borrow my coat from time to time.” He briefly broke the embrace in order to pop the warm, fluffy collar of his coat for emphasis.

“Cullen, I thought you loved your wife. Why would you make her wear such a monstrosity?” Dorian snarked in reply.

Evvy merely laughed. “I’m all right, Cullen, really. Much better now that we’re inside the main hall and Dorian has the fire going. And the married couple apartments are warmer than the rest of the school, you know, because they’re newer - so I was fine before we left.”

“Well, good. All right,” he said with a tiny smile, ignoring Dorian’s comment entirely. “Can I get you anything? Do you want some hot chocolate or anything like that?”

“Have I ever said no to hot chocolate?” she asked, chuckling. “Yes please!” To Dorian, she leveled a more serious inquiry as Cullen departed. “Have we heard from Hawke, do you know?”

Dorian nodded. “They’re on their way back - the roads near the airport are clear, but it’s anyone’s guess what they look like the closer you get to the mountains. Hopefully they’ll be arriving within the next ten minutes or so, factoring in a bit of a slower trek due to the snow.”

“Oh, I’m glad to hear it. I was worried that Bethany’s flight would have to be redirected because of the weather, or something equally annoying that would keep her from being with Hawke and Varric for Wintersend. I know he hated not going home last year,” she noted, “but he was trying so hard to hold up the masquerade. His mind must be so much easier.”

“Yes,” said Cole. He had been so quiet up to this point, it was almost easy to forget he had been there. “Easier, at ease, worries erased. Not even the snow was going to keep him from the sunshine.”

Evvy chuckled, ruffling her son’s hair. “I’m not sure that anything could, at this point. He never says much about it, but he was under a clouded sky for so long that I don’t really believe there’s a force on earth that could keep him away from his Sunshine any longer than necessary.”

Cole nodded. “Especially not at Wintersend. Especially not now that she’s better.”

“Quite right,” Dorian agreed, gesturing for mother and son to sit.

As they settled in and awaited Cullen’s return, Evvy told Dorian of her snowball fight idea. “I thought it might tire out the kids a bit - in this sort of weather, they do need exercise and the fresh air is good for them,” she said. “Cullen is restricting my own participation to merely filming it on my phone, but I can’t blame him for that.”

“Well, I think it’s a marvelous idea. And I know I won’t be alone in that assessment. I might - _might_ \- even be convinced to participate myself.” He held up a hand. “ _Maybe_.”

“That, Dori, I would _pay_ to see.” She laughed.

“Come now, you know I’d do anything for my Cinderella,” he returned with a smile. “Even freeze in this dreadful snowstorm.”

“I wouldn’t ask it of you, though. You can stand with me and help get the footage,” she offered.

“We shall see. I’m sure Cullen would like you to have a protector anyway, so perhaps.” He chuckled. “Is he driving you mad with the fussing?”

“He’s not too bad... yet,” she replied diplomatically. “I suspect he may get worse as the pregnancy goes on. But it’s more endearing than anything.”

“Keep us posted. If he gets too bad, the staff is already working on plans to call him away and give you a moment to breathe.” He winked. “But even I must admit it’s rather adorable how excited he is.”

“Father never thought he would be a father,” said Cole sagely. “Now he gets to be one twice over. It will be different this time. The baby will be happy from the beginning and not have to wait for love to find him or her.”

“That’s very true.” Dorian beamed, placing a hand on Cole’s shoulder. “Your brother or sister will be very lucky in that respect. Especially since they’re being born into the most wonderful family I’ve ever seen.”

“Of which you are a member,” Evvy reminded him fondly. “Don’t forget that part, sir.”

“Well, there is that,” he replied, his smile widening. “And I thank the Maker for that fact constantly.”

“Seems fair, given how often I’ve given Him thanks for you.” She returned the smile, and glanced up as the table was approached. “Well! Good snowy morning to you!”

“Morning,” Cassandra replied, sinking into one of the free chairs. “Merciful Maker and Andraste, it’s cold. But the snow does look beautiful.”

“Cullen’s down fetching hot chocolate - shall I text him to bring you coffee?” his wife offered, pulling out her phone.

“That would be wonderful if he doesn’t mind carrying two pots up here,” she replied. “Fereldan winters just settle in the bones.”

“I’m sure he can find a tray.” Evvy sent the message. “We were just talking about letting the kids have a massive snowball fight this afternoon.”

“Oh, they’ll love that! They’re all happy to be here, of course, but I think they’re also getting a bit antsy. A bit of Skyhold excitement is just what they need.”

“Let them run around, tire themselves out,” Evvy joked. “The dogs should enjoy it too.”

“An excellent point,” said Dorian. “Although, Cole, you might want to guard little Snow - she’s so small she could get lost out there, ironically enough.”

“I will take care of her,” he said, nodding. “No one will throw her.”

“You can leave her with me,” Evvy suggested. “Tell her that it’s her duty to protect me and your little brother or sister while you play.”

“Good idea,” said Cullen with a smile, reappearing with the drinks just in time to hear the tail end of the conversation. “Snow’s a good girl, I trust her to be a wonderful protector.”

“Thank you, love,” said Evvy, accepting her chocolate. “Dorian says Varric and the Hawkes should be here any minute.”

“Oh, good,” he replied, handing Cassandra her coffee before taking a seat next to Cole. “I hope they haven’t had too bad a trip over here.”

“It could have been worse,” said Varric, walking in at that exact moment. “Could definitely have been better. But Sunshine’s flight made it in, that’s the important part.”

“Ah, speak of the devil,” said Dorian in greeting. “Come, join the party, get warm - it’s dreadful out there.”

“Here, I picked up a sack of bagels at that place in the airport,” Varric replied, setting a paper bag on the table. “There’s cream cheese and whatnot in there too. Hawke and Broody are just getting Sunshine settled in their rooms, they’ll be over soon.” He sat down and helped himself to a coffee.

“Wonderful. We were all worried the roads would prove impassable the closer you got to the mountains and that you’d get stuck somewhere,” said Cullen.

“I assume Bethany’s flight was all right?” Cassandra asked as she reached for a bagel. “It seems she missed the worst of it.”

“Turbulent, she said, and the landing was a bit rough. She was kind of pale when she found us.” Varric’s calm demeanor belied his concern. “I told her she should take a nap but she wants to see all of you.”

“Poor thing, she’s sweet,” said Dorian. “We look forward to seeing her as well. But she should definitely make sure to take care of herself so she can enjoy her time here. Besides, a few Skyhold shenanigans seem to be afoot already, and I know how much she delights in them.”

“That she does. What’s on the agenda, then?”

“Evvy suggested a school wide snowball fight,” Cass replied. “A bit of fun for the students - and the teachers too, of course. A nice way to blow off some steam if everyone’s up for it.”

“I’m not fond of the sensation of snow dripping down the back of my shirts. I’ll probably sit this out,” said Varric, putting some cream cheese on a bagel. “But it’ll be fun to watch.”

“You can join me and Evvy and Cole’s mabari then,” Dorian replied. “Cullen won’t let Evvy participate and I’ll probably last all of two seconds before I’ve had it up to here with the cold.”

“Don’t say ‘Cullen won’t let her participate,’” Cullen protested. “You make me sound like I’m her jailer.”

“Cullen has _requested_ that I not participate,” Evvy corrected sweetly. “And I am obliging him for the baby’s sake.”

“Yes, exactly. Thank you, darling.” He smiled at her. “And I have already promised I'll get in a few good throws in her name. Although I should probably likewise not overdo it,” he added, tapping his chest to indicate his heart.

“I for one would appreciate you not overdoing it, yes,” his wife replied. “As would Cass, I’m sure.”

“Absolutely,” said Cass fondly. “You have too much to live for - I won't see you ruin your health now.”

“Nor I,” Dorian added. “As uncle to your children, I would bring you back from the dead to kill you myself if necessary.”

“I promise I'll be careful,” Cullen assured them all with a laugh, holding up his hands in innocence.

“Too bad. I was kind of interested to see how Dorian would pull that off,” Varric said, winking at Cullen over his coffee mug. “Oh, and here’s the winter Sunshine. Sure I can’t persuade you to take a nap?” he asked, seeing the three Hawkes enter the hall.

“Pretty sure,” Bethany said playfully, smiling as she joined them. “I can sleep later. I want to hear how everyone’s doing first. Oh, Evvy, look at you, you look adorable.”

Evvy chuckled. “Thank you. I don’t always _feel_ adorable, mind you, so I appreciate the remark.”

“You do have that precious maternal glow,” said Josephine by way of a greeting as she too joined the group. “Welcome back to Skyhold, Bethany.”

“Thank you, Josie. It’s always good to be here,” Bethany said, embracing the guidance counselor. “Even in the middle of a blizzard.”

“Well, I’m afraid that means you’re likely to be here for longer than you planned. I doubt there will be many flights out of Ferelden in the next few weeks,” Josie said apologetically. “Maybe we should give you your own room to use when you visit - perhaps Evvy’s old suite would suffice?”

“Being here longer than planned is the opposite of a problem,” she assured them pleasantly. “And my own room sounds excellent, actually. That way I’m not crashing sis and Fenris’s place for that long.”

“You can crash with us all you want,” Hawke protested mildly. “Besides, if we give you your own room, Varric’ll do things like stuff the closet with Orlesian dresses and things when you’re not around.”

“Me? Would I do that?”

There was a general murmuring of agreement to that, which made Bethany snicker. “You’re saying these things like they’re bad things,” she teased. “Anyway, we can figure out room related things later. For now, how is everyone? What have I missed?”

“For my part, very little besides morning sickness and the occasional odd craving,” Evvy reported.

“And Cullen is already doting and stressing and it’s still quite early,” said Dorian. “We thought he was syrupy before…”

“I am not…” Cullen began to protest, but paused, as if thinking, and then nodded deferentially.

“It’s all right, dear. You’re allowed to be worried,” Evvy assured him.

“He's a good father, and fathers worry,” said Bethany pleasantly. “So what's going in here in the wonderful world of Skyhold? Miss a little here and you miss a lot, so clue me in.”

“Right now, we’re discussing having the kids gather out in the bailey this afternoon for a massive snowball fight,” said Evvy. “I had the idea months ago - remember the giant game of hide and seek on my birthday? It came to me then and I’ve been waiting for the right time to suggest it. I think we have enough snow now.”

“We definitely do at that.” Bethany laughed, clapping her hands together. “Oh, what a fabulous idea! That will be so much fun, count me in.”

“You sure that’s a good idea?” Varric frowned. “I don’t want you catching a cold or something.” He paused. “Andraste’s ass, I sound like Curly.”

“Hey,” Cullen protested, chuckling.

Bethany smiled. “I won’t stay out too long, don’t worry. Just enough to remember what it’s like to frolic a little bit. It’s been ages since I’ve been in a snowball fight.”

“All right. You get too tired or too cold or too anything, though, you go right inside. Agreed?” Varric knew he was being ridiculous, but at the same time, he felt he was justified.

“I’ll be careful, I promise,” she assured him, kissing his cheek. “But only if you promise to be waiting with a cup of tea and a warm blanket or something,” she added with a smile.

“I imagine I can make something like that happen.” He sipped at his coffee, ignoring any looks being directed at him.

Josephine chuckled. “Well, we’ll announce the plan at lunchtime - let them have the morning to amuse themselves as they like. We can arrange for the kitchen staff to have hot drinks waiting for everyone once it’s over.”

“Sounds perfect,” Cass said pleasantly. “In a way, this is almost like an early Wintersend gift to them. I’m so pleased they were able to stay this year.”

“And I’m glad I got here ahead of the storm,” said Mahanon with a yawn, entering the hall. He’d arrived the night before, and just as Josie was offering Evvy’s old quarters to Bethany, he had been given the use of what had once been Cullen’s rooms. “Morning, everyone. Excuse my lateness, my flight didn’t get in til close to midnight.”

Cassandra’s eyes went wide and she quite nearly dropped her coffee cup. “Y-you’re here! You made it! I didn’t think you could. Why didn’t you tell me you were here?”

“You were asleep, I didn’t want to wake you.” He kissed her and Evvy in greeting. “Little lady, I’d better be able to take a good report on your progress back to Ostwick when the weather lets me travel again.”

“Well, I’m fine as far as I know.”

“Don’t worry, her husband wouldn’t let her be anything other than fine,” Dorian assured him, rising to shake his hand. “Between Cullen and Cole, she’s in excellent hands.”

“Good. It’s great to see you all,” he added, shaking hands around the table. “Looks like this will be quite the Wintersend party.”

“Yes indeed,” said Cullen brightly. “And it will be one of the largest gift exchanges we’ve had in quite a while. It will be wonderful, I’m sure.”

“Gift exchanges... uh-oh,” said Mahanon, patting his pockets. “I knew I forgot something when I was packing!”

“You being here is the gift,” Cass said, smiling. “Well, at least to me anyway.”

“Cassandra, you trying to outdo the Rutherfords for ‘so cute it’s stupid’?” asked Bull, joining the group along with Solas and Blackwall. “Hey, newcomers, welcome to our frozen paradise.”

“I’m only teasing anyway, Cass, of course I didn’t forget my gifts,” Mahanon added, shaking hands with the new arrivals.

Cass merely nodded, attempting to control the blush in her cheeks, which was making Dorian chuckle. “My, my, I’m afraid we’re out of chairs - I had no idea the entire staff would be showing up to partake in the little fire I made. But, the more the merrier.”

“We _could_ go downstairs and have breakfast,” pointed out Leliana, walking over to them. “You know, like the rest of the school is doing? Hello Bethany, Mahanon, I’m so glad you both arrived safely.”

“Good morning, Headmistress Nightingale,” said Bethany with a smile. “That’s quite true - my arrival did sort of distract everyone, my apologies. But you have good timing, since the staff cooked up a marvelous idea in your absence.”

Evvy explained the snowball fight idea. “I’m sure they’re all a bit restless from the weather, so this will be good for them,” she said. “It’s not like they can take their usual trip to the movies and that sort of thing.”

“Quite right. I agree with everyone - this sounds like just what they need.” Leliana smiled. “And I’m an excellent shot with snowballs. I look forward to it.”

“And this suddenly took a turn for the dangerous,” Varric deadpanned.

“It’ll be fun,” Josephine insisted. “The kids are going to love it.”

* * *

The students agreed with that assessment, if the squealing when it was announced was anything to go by. “Be sure to thank Mrs. Rutherford,” Leliana said when she could be heard again. “It was her idea and we all agreed it was perfect.”

Evvy cringed a bit at the sudden cacophony of gratitude which was hurled in her direction. “Uh... you’re welcome? And do please note that I will not be participating,” she added. “At the explicit request of Professor Rutherford, I’ll be up on the battlements playing cinematographer.”

Cullen nodded and kissed his wife’s hand, which of course netted a fair bit of cooing. He laughed. “Well, this plan is going over even better than I thought. Happy Wintersend to the students.” He laughed again.

“The battle will take place after lunch,” Leliana added, once the kids had settled down again. “That gives you the morning to forge your alliances, pick your vantage points, and plot.” Everyone laughed. “Some of the teachers will be participating, some won’t. If there are any students who would rather not participate, you’re welcome to sit out the nonsense in the library with Felix, or else join Mrs. Rutherford on the battlements to watch.”

The students almost immediately began chattering again, friends finding each other to begin pairing off or just to babble in excitement. Several students were, not surprisingly, already declaring this the best Wintersend ever.

“Ah, Skyhold. Never change,” Hawke said with an affectionate sigh.

“Is it too early to place bets on who’s still standing when the dust clears?” Dorian chuckled.

“My money’s on Krem,” said Evvy at once. “His fan club won’t let anything happen to him.”

“An excellent point,” Dorian replied with a laugh. “Plus I imagine that if years of football are good for anything, it's helping one's throwing ability.”

“Also the ability to dodge projectiles,” Bull said, chuckling. “I predict all the Chargers will team up to try to take everyone else down.”

“Well, maybe not _everyone_.” Dorian smirked and gestured with his head to where the Partners in Crime sat, whispering frantically. “I’m sure the Chargers might spare _certain_ people.”

“Yes, about that... how long do you think it will be before Krem and Rory realize that their crush is _mutual_?” Evvy giggled.

“Left to their own devices?” Dorian asked, grinning. “Probably a while. At least for Rory, poor girl - she has no idea why he would ever feel the same way. They remind me a bit of you and Cullen in the early days, bless their souls.”

“True. I at least had all of you telling me ‘no, he really likes you, hang in there’ - someone ought to let her know too.” She watched them surreptitiously. “Unless maybe he does it himself.”

“Well, it is Wintersend,” said Dorian. “Anything is possible - perhaps one of them will give the other a gift. And by ‘perhaps one of them’, I mean Krem.”

“Why, Fairy Godfather,” she protested mildly, “surely you’re not holding out on me where gossip is concerned? Do you know something I don’t?”

“Certainly not. I would never hide anything from my Cinderella. I’m merely saying it’s a possibility.”

“I might know something about it,” said Varric idly, “but I’m sworn to secrecy - if, in fact, I know anything.”

“Oh, is that so? Color me intrigued,” Dorian remarked, raising an eyebrow.

“And me as well,” said Cassandra. “Surely you can tell _us_ something?”

“There might be a book involved. That’s all you get.” He smirked, and winked at Bethany.

Bethany giggled. “A book? The plot thickens. Well, I’m sure she’ll love it.”

“Is he doing it anonymously?” Cass wanted to know.

“That’s my understanding. Sort of a secret admirer thing. I hear girls like that… wish I’d known sooner.” Varric said, his tone teasing.

Bethany giggled again, playfully elbowing him. “Well, this girl certainly thinks it's romantic. I think Rory will too.”

“Wintersend at Skyhold is always interesting, I’ll say that,” Dorian added, chuckling warmly.

“Sadly, I have no epic poem to share this year,” Varric said with a sigh. “But maybe next year, if the kids figure themselves out by then. Can’t quite decide if our girl would be flattered or mortified - maybe both.”

“Probably both,” Cass agreed with a laugh. “Leaning more towards flattered, I'd say.”

“There would definitely be squealing,” Cullen said, likewise laughing.

“Well, we do live for the squealing. Or they do,” Hawke amended. “One of those.”

“After all, what would Skyhold Academy be without the squealing?” said Leliana with a smile.

“Much quieter,” said Blackwall, dryly.

“But on the other hand, the squealing lets us know they’re happy,” Josie pointed out, and he relented.

“And after so much unhappiness as many of them endured before they came here, it _is_ rather nice to see,” Cullen added.

“I think we’ll all drink to that, Curly,” said Varric, nodding.

* * *

The rest of the morning passed by quickly. The students took the headmistress’s comment to heart and spent most of that time sitting by windows and watching the snow still slowly falling while they planned and giggled with their heads together. Everyone was nearly jittery with excitement throughout lunch until it was finally time for them to collect their coats and prepare for the event. Cullen caught up with Cole as the students all but dashed from the hall. “Excited?” he asked his son with a smile.

“I think so.” Cole truthfully sounded more puzzled than anything. “This won’t hurt anyone, will it? You wouldn’t let us do it if it were going to hurt.”

“Of course not,” Cullen assured him, placing a hand on his shoulder. “It will be a little chilly, certainly, but not painful. Mostly it’s going to be a lot of chaos and silliness as everyone runs around. And if at any point you decide you don’t want to be a part of it, you can sit out with your mother and Uncle Dorian. I won’t be in it for very long myself.”

“All right.” Cole brightened a bit. “Snow is with Mother. I told her she has to protect the baby and I think she understands.”

“Excellent!” Cullen smiled. “Snow’s already a very smart mabari - if you keep training her so well, she’ll probably be as smart as Duke before long. You’re doing a marvelous job with her.”

“Thank you, Father.” He looked even more serious than usual. “I want to train her to watch over Mother. I never want anything to happen to her ever again. Or the baby. Snow has to help me.”

The look in Cullen’s eyes was warm and earnest as he studied his son’s expression. “I know exactly how you feel, Cole,” he said. “I think training Snow to watch over her is a wonderful idea. Between you, me, Snow, and your aunts and uncles, nothing is going to happen. To any of us. I promise.”

Cole nodded, now pleased because he was understood. “I’ll be careful,” he vowed, tightening his scarf. “You be careful too. Don’t let them hit you too many times.”

“I won’t. Hopefully.” He laughed. “Just have fun and try your best to stay as warm as possible.” He patted his shoulder.

“Yes, Father.” Cole scuttled off to find his friends.

Up on the ramparts, Evvy (with Snow sitting on her feet) was adjusting her camera. “This should be interesting,” she mused, hearing footsteps below.

The teachers trooped outside first, surveying the snowy courtyard. After a beat, they held the doors open and the participating students hurried to join them. A few shivered in the bitter cold, but the majority of them looked beyond delighted, bouncing slightly in their excitement. From his spot in the crowd, Dorian looked like he was already half frozen. Cullen, meanwhile, caught sight of where Evvy stood and waved.

She waved back, watching with profound amusement as several of the other teachers looked less than thrilled about the proceedings. Varric in particular kept looking like he wanted to park Bethany in front of the fireplace and barricade the door. Shaking her head, she started to film as Leliana began to announce regulations for the fight.

The rules were mostly what one would expect from a snowball fight - no throwing anything except snow, no hitting anyone who was already down, and the like. Leliana explained these rules with a glint in her eye that seemed to say she would know if anyone broke them. Once the students all chimed their understanding, she grinned. “Very good. Well then, all that’s left is for everyone to find their positions, I’d say. You can begin arming yourselves on my count.”

There was a _lot_ of giggling as she began counting. Practically the second it was permissible, the air was filled with blobs and clods of firmly-packed snow - and quite a bit of shrieking. Evvy watched anxiously as Cullen lobbed a number of snowballs in various directions, never very powerfully, before putting up his hands to signal his retreat. His face was flushed, but she couldn’t detect any particular distress, and she was relieved.

Bethany wasn’t far behind him. She was doing her best to catch her sister with a snowball, laughing as she tried, but Hawke was repeatedly just a bit faster. “All right, all right, I surrender.” Bethany groaned playfully, likewise holding up her hands. She glanced over in Varric’s direction and gave a little curtsey to show she was calling it quits and went over to join Cullen.

Varric was _just_ nodding his approval when he was brained from behind by a snowball that was very nearly as big as his head. With a yelp of surprise, he pitched forward into a snowbank, and came up sputtering after a moment. “I yield, I _yield_ ,” he protested, staggering to his feet.

“Aw, my poor darling,” Bethany said, biting her lip to keep from chuckling as she came over to assist him. “Come on, we’ll go keep Cullen company.”

He grumbled, but let her pull him gently in the direction of the other escapee. “Should we go up and join Siren?”

“That might be nice - that way she doesn’t have to play cameraman all by herself,” Bethany remarked. “As long as we don’t mess up her recording, that is.”

“Long as we keep quiet it should be okay. Come on, Curly, I know you want to be up there anyway.” Varric paused. “Maybe I’ll duck into my room and change first.”

“All right. We’ll meet you up there,” Bethany said, glancing over at Cullen – who very obviously did want to be up with his wife – and smiling.

Varric nodded and trudged in the direction of his room, visibly grimacing at the squelch of wet socks inside wet boots. “My favorite outdoor activity is going back inside,” he muttered to no one in particular.

Meanwhile, Bethany and Cullen made their way up to where Evvy stood, silently waving as they got into position. Cullen paused to scratch little Snow behind the ears before he took his place next to his wife with a smile. After a moment of watching, he gently tapped her shoulder and mouthed the words “Look at Dorian” while he pointed down to where the music teacher stood. He had made perhaps one snowball during the entire proceedings and seemed to find the very act of touching the snow to be distasteful.

The Partners in Crime were back to back nearby, Rory almost hiding behind Jim and Nessa, until she looked over and noticed Dorian’s back was turned, making him the perfect target. “Oh, no. Be right back!” she chirped to her friends and took off in his direction. She just managed to reach him in time, the snowball that had been destined for him hitting her instead. Thanks to her stature, it pelted her in the face and she squeaked, tumbling over. “Ow,” she complained as she sat up. “Okay, maybe I didn’t think that through as much as I could have.”

Evvy clapped a hand to her mouth to keep herself from giggling at Rory’s heroics. “Bless her heart,” she whispered, filming intently as the girl got to her feet.

Dorian looked both impressed and grateful for the rescue, patting Rory’s shoulder in thanks before taking the opportunity to make a hasty departure from the cold. Rory merely smiled and scampered back to her friends, who immediately began dusting her off.

“Rors, did you just seriously take a snowball for Professor Pavus?” Jim asked, picking a clump of snow from her hair.

“Of course! He’s my ray of sunshine - he’s not getting hit with a snowball on my watch.”

“Pretty heroic, Rory,” called a voice, and the three looked around to see Krem giving her a grin and a wave. “Nice work.”

She raised her hand to shyly wave back, her eyes wide. “Oh. Oh, thanks. It was - it was nothing really. But I’m glad you think so. I mean… uh… thank you.”

Nessa was giggling, as were a couple other students who happened to overhear. “Rors,” she said quietly, “I am telling you. I think he likes you.”

“Ness, that’s crazy,” Rory whispered back, her cheeks very red. “I mean, of course _you guys_ would say that - you’re my best friends. It would be like my mom saying it. But in reality, there’s no way.”

“Yeah, okay. That’s why he just yelled to you in the middle of a snowball fight about what a cool thing you did shielding Professor P from getting hit,” she retorted. “He’s halfway across the yard, he shouldn’t have even _seen_ what you did. You ask me, he’s watching to make sure nobody hits _you_. But that’s just my opinion.”

Rory glanced at Jim, who nodded his agreement with Nessa’s statement, causing her to blush even more furiously. “That would be… I… he… you guys are going to give me very unrealistic expectations, you know,” she said, trying to glance back in Krem’s direction as covertly as possible.

“If you can come up with a viable alternate theory as to why he would keep looking over here, we’ll leave you alone,” Nessa challenged.

She opened her mouth to speak and shut it again after a few seconds. “I’m sure there’s some reason, it’s just not coming to me right now with you all staring at me like this,” she returned. “But it’s certainly not to look at _me_.”

“Uh-huh. The prosecution rests, Your Honor.”

“You guys are the worst,” she whined. “Anyway, are we here for a snowball fight or to make me blush unnecessarily?”

“We can have both!” Nessa grinned. “We’ll leave it be for now.”

“I have a bad feeling I have more teasing waiting for me later, don’t I?” she sighed.

“I guess that depends on wh-ah!” Whatever Jim was going to say got swallowed as he was walloped with a snowball.

Rory giggled. “Don't worry, Jimmy, we shall avenge you,” she said playfully, stooping to get more snow. “Come on, we should get back to it!”

* * *

About an hour later, the students had more or less worn themselves out. The participating teachers were soaked, the non-participating teachers were frozen, and Varric was nowhere to be seen.

“All right, everyone,” Leliana called, “back to your rooms and change into dry clothes. There’s hot drinks in the dining hall when you’re ready, but I don’t want anyone getting sick so please change first.”

As the students all shuffled off to obey her directive, Bethany was peering around the hall, looking confused and perhaps a touch concerned.

“Whoa, are you guys back already?” Varric entered the hall from the stairs leading to the men’s dorms and blinked. “How long was I gone?”

“Oh, there you are.” Bethany hurried to intercept him. “You were gone for about an hour. I was honestly starting to wonder if you were all right. You _are_ all right, aren't you?”

“I’m fine, Sunshine. Sorry if I worried you - I was taking care of some stuff and got sidetracked,” he said, patting her hand. “Story notes and things like that.”

She looked visibly soothed. “Okay. Okay, good. I was beginning to wonder if you had maybe been hit harder than I thought, so it's a relief to hear you just got sidetracked.”

“Oh, shit, honey, I’m sorry.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I should have been watching the time better. Really, I’m okay.”

“Well, that's good enough for me,” she said, smiling and kissing his cheek. “Don't apologize. Did you get done what you needed to get done?”

“I think so. You should go change,” he said, a bit sternly. “You have snow in your hair, did it start snowing again?”

“Oh, do I?” She ran a hand through a few strands. “It flurried a little, nothing major.” She laughed slightly, squeezing his hand. “Don't worry about me. I'll go change into something dry, then we can go get a hot drink with everyone else.”

“That’s my girl. Josephine set you up in Siren’s old room, like she was saying at breakfast. Go through that door and up the stairs, it’s the second door on the left if I remember correctly.”

“Perfect. I'll be right back.” With a beaming smile, she whisked off to the room to change. All her luggage had been brought up and she set about fetching dry clothes… when something caught her eye. “Hmm…?”

The closet had been left partially open, and hanging inside was a navy wool dress in her size. A note had been pinned to the garment’s tag. _Your name is a golden bell hung in my heart. I would break my body to pieces to call you once by your name. ~ Your secret admirer_

She studied the note for a few moments, then giggled. “ _The Last Unicorn._ Oh, how sweet.” She pressed the note to her lips, and set about changing into the dress. She made a mental note to thank Varric when she got downstairs - after all, of course it was Varric. Who else could it be?

He was browsing the newspaper when she came down again, and glanced up, then did a double take. “Oh, that’s cute, Sunshine. Good color on you. Is that new?”

“I think you know it is,” she said playfully, giving a little twirl. “And the note was very sweet too, thank you.”

“What note?”

She paused, then laughed as she studied him. “The note from my secret admirer, of course. Don't suppose you know who it is?” she teased.

He raised an eyebrow. “You have a secret admirer? Do I have to kill someone?”

“I don't know, you tell me.” She took his arm. “Well, whoever this admirer is, they have good taste in dresses.”

He chuckled at that. “All right, well, I guess I can’t be too mad then. Come on, let’s go join the others.”

Smiling, she walked with him to the dining hall, accepting a cup of tea as they entered. “You missed a good fight,” she said to Varric as they went to take a seat. “Did Dorian tell you what Rory did?”

“Haven’t seen him - what happened?”

“Oh, it was cute. She practically jumped in front of him so he wouldn't get hit by a snowball. It was like she was taking the bullet for him.” She giggled.

“Geez, where was her protective impulse when I got slammed?” he grumbled, obviously not really annoyed. “That _is_ pretty cute though.”

“It was.” She lowered her voice almost conspiratorially. “And I couldn't hear, of course, so I can't swear to it, but I think Krem agreed.”

“Is that so? Well, I wouldn’t be too surprised.” He smirked over his coffee cup. “Wish he’d hurry up and tell her already.”

“Me too. But don't worry, it will be sweeter for the waiting, take my word for it,” she assured him with a smile, sipping at her tea.

“I hope he’s a little braver than I was, then. I kept you waiting too long.”

“Evidently not _too_ long. After all, I'm here.” Her smile widened as she leaned in to kiss him.

“Awwww,” said Bull, choosing that exact moment to enter the room. “Look at you two, also trying to unseat Cullen and Ev as ‘so cute it’s stupid.’”

“It's a tough job, but I'm up to it,” Bethany replied, grinning.

“Besides, you and Sparkler are doing a pretty good job yourselves,” Varric retorted, smirking.

Bethany began chuckling, which only intensified as Dorian walked in and gave them a teasingly suspicious look.

“So, Sparkler, I hear you had to be rescued during the battle. Must have been quite a hit if Rory felt the need to protect you,” said Varric with a grin.

“What can I say? I have my own personal defense squad.” He smirked, preening slightly as he took a sip of coffee. “It knocked the poor girl over and everything. Not sure what I've done to inspire such loyalty, but it's nice to have nevertheless.”

“You’re wonderful, obviously. Of course, I _am_ biased,” said Evvy, joining the collective with Snow at her heels. “Are you all right, Varric?”

“No worries, Siren. Sounds like I missed quite the shindig while I was taking care of some other things.”

“It was certainly something,” said Cullen with a smile as he likewise walked up. “I’m glad the whole thing was recorded or I might not believe it myself.”

“It was everything I hoped it would be and more,” Evvy confirmed, nodding. “The kids are going to sleep well tonight, that’s for sure.”

“And some of the teachers too, I should say,” Cass added, sauntering in. “Oh, coffee. Thank the Maker.”

“Where’s Mahanon?” Evvy inquired, passing her a cup.

“Probably changing his clothes.” Cass smirked. “He hit me in the side of the head with a snowball when I wasn't looking. I made him regret it.”

“Good for you!” Evvy laughed. “Can’t mollycoddle him all the time. Especially when he’s so clearly asking for it.”

“I heard that,” Mahanon said, entering the room. “I see where your loyalties really lie, Mrs. Rutherford. I am shocked and devastated.”

“She better than anyone knows that you really were asking for it,” Cass returned, still smirking. She kissed his cheek as he walked up. “But we love you anyway.”

“Sheesh. It really _is_ a ‘so cute it’s stupid’ contest around here,” Varric snarked. “Guess we need an impartial judge.”

“ _Is_ there such a thing here at Skyhold?” Dorian joked. “I rather doubt it.”

“Eh… Ruffles. Maybe. Or Chuckles, although I don’t know if he could be bothered.”

There was a general laugh at that. “Well if we ever need to settle it once and for all, I'm sure we can find someone.” Cullen smiled. “Come on, let's sit.”

“Does seniority count for anything in this contest, I wonder,” Evvy mused, taking the chair Cullen indicated for her. “If so, Hawke and Fenris have a leg up on everybody.”

“Did I hear our names being taken in vain?” Hawke asked cheerfully, having arrived in time for the comment. “Oh, sis, you look warm.”

Bethany smiled and played with the hem of her dress. “I am indeed. Quite fortuitous that I found such a warm dress in the closet.”

“Apparently someone around here has a death wish,” Varric added.

“I have a secret admirer,” she explained, patting his hand. “And of course Varric has _no_ idea who it could be.” She winked at him.

“I am nothing but a mostly innocent bystander.”

“You have an interesting definition of ‘innocent’,” Bull said.

Bethany chuckled. “Well, whoever this admirer may be, he has my thanks. Just as long as he knows who my heart really belongs to.” She smiled in Varric’s direction.

“Maker’s breath, I think I feel a cavity forming,” Mahanon said teasingly.

Everyone laughed once more, with Cassandra batting Non’s arm for his comment. Bethany was grinning. “You only _think_ you feel one _starting_ to form?” she replied. “Oh, then I'm clearly not trying hard enough.”

“Don’t overdo it, Sunshine,” said Varric mildly, finishing his cup of coffee. “Save something for the imagination. Or the fanfiction.”

“Ooh yes, an excellent point.” She beamed.

“Speaking of fanfiction, that was quite some rescue by young Miss Norbertson, Dorian,” said Hawke. “And did I see Krem congratulating her for it?”

Dorian grinned. “Yes, indeed. I was watching from afar, so I couldn't hear exactly what was going on - but he seemed to be looking over in her direction anyway when he saw it.”

“I ship it,” said Blackwall in his deep, serious voice, prompting everyone to crack up laughing.

“So do I,” said Dorian when he could breathe again. “Now they just need to come to an understanding. Bull, can't you convince your boy to tell her?”

“You’d think being the most popular kid in school would give him enough confidence,” said Bull. “He’s a lot shyer than you’d expect. Doesn’t have much experience with dating either, because of the whole… y’know. But I’ll try to talk him into it.”

“Good. Because I don't know if my health can take a new generation of unicorns,” Dorian said. Cullen merely sighed.

Evvy giggled, and nudged him. “Unicorns are very rare anyway,” she said fondly. “To see more than one is asking too much. Don't worry, they’re young and they’ll sort themselves out eventually.”

“I certainly hope so.” Bethany smiled. “They'd be adorable together. And what can I say, I'm just a romantic I guess.”

“Never would have imagined it,” said Fenris in his deadpan way.

Bethany wrinkled her nose at him playfully. “So, when do you all exchange Wintersend gifts?”

“Tomorrow night, after dinner,” said Leliana. “This is a first for us - we’ve never had so many students stay for the winter holidays. It’s never been in the budget. Usually it’s only been Cole, and last year was the first time we even knew _he_ was here.” She leveled a pointed, albeit friendly, gaze at Evvy. “So tomorrow will be about the kids, for the majority of the day, and then after dinner they’ll be dismissed to the dorms while we have our own gathering in the staff room.”

“Oh, that's so sweet. It's so nice that they can all finally have a big, festive Wintersend,” Bethany said, smiling. “It will be wonderful.”

“It’s nice that they can spend the holiday together instead of… well.” Bull shook his head. “What’d we get them, anyway?”

“Oh, you know, a mish-mash,” said Varric. “Bookstore gift cards, those always go over well. Keychains. Socks. Each kid gets to open about six things.”

“They're going to be delighted! I can't wait to see the looks on their faces,” Bethany enthused.

* * *

After dinner that night, the staff members adjourned to the lounge; Blackwall proposed they all grow to hate one another forever with a game of Monopoly. “They say it cements bad relationships,” he joked.

“I already own about a third of Kirkwall,” Varric protested mildly. “I’d kick everyone’s tail.”

Bethany laughed. “Well, that is true. But I'm excellent at board games. Also, I think a Skyhold game of Monopoly requires a picture - let me go grab my phone from my room. Don't start without me.”

Varric tried not to smirk too obviously as she left the room. Once she reached her new little quarters, there was another gift on her pillow - a small velvet box containing a delicate pair of amber earrings, a perfect match for her eyes - and another note. _You are the sun, I am the moon; you are the words, I am the tune - play me. ~ Your secret admirer_

Smiling from ear to ear, she kissed this note as she had kissed the last one, placing it on her nightstand. She put the earrings on immediately and retrieved her phone, hurrying back downstairs.

“Tea, Sunshine?” Varric asked over his shoulder as she entered the lounge. “Or there’s some of Siren’s hot chocolate if you’d rather.”

“Some more tea sounds perfect, actually,” she said, smirking faintly. She made a big show of tucking her hair behind her ear, tilting her head just a bit so the light caught the amber.

Varric wasn’t looking, but Josephine certainly was. “Bethany, you weren’t wearing those earlier, were you? They’re beautiful.”

“Thank you! I just found them upstairs. My secret admirer strikes again.” She glanced over at Varric. The smirk quickly became a smile. “I love them, so the secret admirer has my thanks.”

Evvy frowned slightly, glancing from one to the other. “But… hasn’t Varric been with you all afternoon? How did he pull that off?”

“Maybe because it wasn’t me who put them there,” he retorted, bringing Bethany her tea.

She glanced back and forth as well, then laughed slightly. “I’m sure he has his ways,” she said, accepting the cup with a smile. “Far be it from me to try and decipher those methods.”

He shook his head. “How come nobody ever believes me?” he asked rhetorically.

“Because you lie a lot,” Hawke reminded him.

“Aww, it’s okay. Of course I believe you. You have no clue how these earrings found their way to me.” She winked and went to take a seat.

“So are we playing Monopoly?” Leliana wanted to know.

“Well, we could always play Wick-” A smirking Dorian barely had time to begin the word when Cullen cut him off.

“No, we’re not playing that. Monopoly is fine,” he said quickly.

“Dibs on the top hat,” said Varric. “Somebody likes it when I wear hats.”

Hawke laughed. “Maybe we should play teams or something. There’s not enough pieces to go around.”

“We could do pairs,” Bethany replied. “Each pair can pool money and things like that.”

“Maybe just to make it interesting, we should make the pairs random,” said Leliana, grinning. “Anyone up for that?”

“That sounds fun.” Josephine smiled. “I’m in. And I volunteer to be banker.”

“Dangerous, Ruffles,” said Varric amiably. “All right, Songbird, what do you have in mind?”

“Everyone stand in a circle - like you’re lining up, but in a circle,” she said. “Now, turn your heads to your right so you can’t see, and extend your left arms into the middle of the circle. Everybody grab a hand and that will be your partner!”

There was a fair bit of laughing and a few comical cringes of apprehension as everyone did as Leliana suggested. It was a brief tangle of arms until partnerships began taking place. Giggling, Bethany grabbed a hand and glanced down. “Well, I see a wedding ring. And it’s not Fenris, so... hi, Cullen!” She looked back up and laughed as he waved back with his free hand.

“General, looks like it’s me and you,” said Varric, realizing just whose fingers he had seized.

“If you’ve got Cass, then I have… oh. Hey, Solas,” said Mahanon, looking amused.

Dorian was busy laughing at the whole spectacle when a hand gently latched around his. “Ah, my dear Ms. Montilyet! Between the two of us, we should have this game rather soundly in the bag, as the saying goes.”

“Oh, it’s on, Sparkler,” Varric said. “General?”

Cass folded her arms over her chest and was smirking slightly. “I think I’d very much like to see Dorian lose. Sorry, Josephine.”

“Wait, who did I get then?” Evvy turned and, to her surprise, found herself holding hands with Hawke. “Oh, this is going to be a wild ride, I can tell.” She laughed. “Art teachers unite!”

“Oh, art teachers unite indeed!” She grinned. “Sorry, everyone, but I think _we_ have this in the bag.” She looked around. “Who got my husband?”

“I did,” said Leliana, holding up Fenris’s hand.

“Just make sure I get him back.” Hawke grinned.

“Looks like it’s you and me then, Blackwall,” said Bull.

“We can take them all easily,” Blackwall remarked, experimentally flexing his fingers as he freed his hand from Bull’s strong grasp.

“Well then, everyone claim a token and I’ll get the money sorted,” Josie said cheerfully. “May the best team win!”

* * *

Three hours later, the game had turned incredibly cutthroat. All of the teams had either bankrupted or quit except for two, and it was anybody’s guess whether Cass and Varric would triumph or if it would be Solas and Mahanon. For some reason, Cass seemed strangely keen to defeat her boyfriend. “Am I being punished for something, my sweet?” he asked, looking puzzled.

“No, probably not.” It was Cullen who answered (from a safe distance). “This is how she gets with board games. When you play a game with Cassandra, the thing she’s punishing you for is your _existence_.”

“Oh, be quiet,” she replied, levelling her friend with a glare before turning back to Mahanon. “And, if you’re being punished for anything - which I’m not saying you are - it would be hitting me with that snowball.”

“I had no idea you were such a champion at holding grudges.”

“Well, to be fair, she does have _me_ helping,” said Varric, “and when you come from a family like mine, Monopoly isn’t so much a game as a way of life.”

“And I am _not_ holding a grudge. I just don't like being pelted with snow,” Cass protested.

“And she really enjoys winning,” Dorian teased, which earned him a glare too.

“Who doesn’t?” Hawke asked. “Varric, next time grab my hand, would you?”

“I’ll try, Hawke.”

“Meanwhile, I think poor Solas is just caught in the middle of this revenge plot,” said Bethany with a laugh.

“Perhaps this is _my_ revenge plot, Bethany,” he replied with a benign smile. “For what I could require vengeance, however, I shall keep a mystery.”

“Oh ho!” she clapped her hands together. “The plot thickens. I love it! So who is winning at the moment anyway?”

“We are,” said all four competitors.

“No, we are,” said Varric. “We own this entire side of the board plus all the railroads.”

“We have more money,” Mahanon replied.

“Not for long at this rate.”

“This is going to get bloody,” said Dorian, chuckling. “Josephine, as banker you may want to watch your fingers.”

“I’m an Antivan, Dorian. They will regret keenly the day they try to rob _my_ bank,” she assured him.

Everyone laughed at that except Leliana, who merely smiled. “And this is why she does the budget,” the headmistress replied.

“Yeah, well, sucks to be you guys,” said Mahanon, putting a hotel on Boardwalk. “You should come over here for a little vacation in my palace by the sea.” He winked.

Cass made a disgusted noise and rolled her eyes, grabbing the money to count how much remained. Her brow furrowed slightly and she counted again, biting her lip.

Of course, as luck would have it, three turns later the top hat landed on Boardwalk. “Looks like luck is against us, General,” said Varric with a sigh. “You want to give up the red properties, or just forfeit?”

“Give up the red properties,” she grumbled. “There's still a chance we can come back from this.”

“That’s the spirit. Here you go, Lockpick. It’s a temporary setback.”

“Mmhmm,” said Dorian doubtfully from the sidelines.

“Quiet,” Cass returned. “We'll be fine. We still have the railroads and you can pry those from my cold, dead hands.”

“We’ve got the yellows too. We can do this,” said Varric, winking at Bethany. He leaned over to Josephine and adopted a stage whisper. “I can make it worth your while to give me a couple extra hundreds when we pass Go…”

There was another general laugh as Josie teasingly waggled her finger. “Now, my dear Professor, that would be taking bribes. And we all know I would never do that.”

“Madam, you wound me. Don’t think of them as _bribes_ , think of them as _favors_.”

“Nice try. You'll have to dig yourselves out of this hole alone.”

“Sadly, my charms are insufficient, General,” he said with a sigh. “I tried.”

“It's all right. We can do it on our own.” She held out her hand for the dice. “Let's do this.”

They actually managed to hold out for another half hour before finally conceding defeat. “You play a mean property deal, you two,” said Varric. “Sorry, General, we gave it our best but the dice were against us.”

Cassandra’s mouth had scrunched into a frown as she studied the board. “But we… they…” After a moment, she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Oh, I’m sorry, dear.” Mahanon chuckled. “I’ll find a way to make it up to you, I promise.”

“It’s getting late,” said Evvy tiredly. She had been dozing a bit on Cullen’s shoulder. “Sorry everyone, I’m sleeping for two. I, at least, need to call it a night.”

“Of course, my darling,” said Cullen, kissing her forehead and smoothing the hair out of her face. “Let’s go. This has been nice, everyone, thank you.”

“Come on, love,” said Mahanon, extending a hand to Cassandra. “Let’s go out and look at the moon on the snow.”

“Go on.” Varric waved everybody away. “I’ll clean up the game, Songbird, I’ll probably be up writing anyway.”

“Want me to stay and help?” Bethany asked. “I can already hear you telling me to go get some rest, but you know I’m willing to stay up and keep you company for a little while.”

“Warring impulses, Sunshine. I _do_ want you to rest,” he said, “but I also like having you where I can see you. All right, stick around until you start yawning.” He flashed her a grin.

“ _That_ , I think, is the perfect compromise.” She smiled, waving to the others as they began to depart. “Thank you all for the best game of Monopoly I’ve seen in a long time.”

“Don’t be up too late,” Hawke scolded. “And I’m really talking to Varric when I say that. Good night, everyone.”

“Good night.” Bethany waited until everyone had trooped out before turning to Varric, her lips curling almost quizzically. “So… how _did_ you manage to sneak those earrings upstairs? Did one of the students help you?”

“You still insist on thinking it was me?” He laughed, relenting. “Your sister took them up for me, actually. You like them?”

“They're gorgeous, I love them. They even match my eyes - I thought that was an impossible feat,” she teased affectionately.

“For the silk sellers in Hightown market,” he corrected. “Jewelers have an easier time of it.”

“Well, they’re wonderful.” She turned her head from side to side so the earrings sparkled in the light, obviously enjoying it. “And I thank you for them.” She kissed him. “Oh, and the dress too. You’re too sweet, you know.”

“Sunshine,” he began, and then faltered. “You deserve it. All of it.”

The look she gave him was extremely soft and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “Mm, we’ll clean up the game in a minute. For now, I just want to enjoy being here with you for Wintersend.”

“The best Wintersend gift,” he assured her quietly, his rough fingers twisting slightly in the fabric of her dress as he clutched her. “I hated not seeing you last year.”

“Me too. That’s why it was so important for me to get here this year. Not even a blizzard was going to stop me.” She grinned, leaning her head against his shoulder.

“Nope. Never missing Wintersend with you again,” he promised. “And if you ever can’t get to where I am for it, I’ll tear Thedas apart to get to you.”

“I have no trouble believing that,” she said, smiling. “Like a hijacked plane or a runaway train or a speeding bullet, there’s no stopping this.”

Varric chuckled. “That’s my girl. All right, let’s clean this up… then if we slip over to my office, I might have some spoilers for the next book that you can read.”

“Ooh, you know I’ll never say no to that. Happy Wintersend to me.” Her smile widened and she kissed him again.

“You keep that up and you can have anything you want.” He managed to sound only slightly dazed.

“Duly noted,” she teased, setting about the task of putting the game away.


	8. In Peace, Vigilance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the "war" of the last chapter, Skyhold Academy settles in for the "peace" of Wintersend. Well, relative peace, at least. Many gifts are given (both secret and otherwise) and the teachers all have some fun teasing each other, of course.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A special thanks to Mrsblonde, who reminded us that a certain calendar that was mentioned in "Skyhold Academy" had yet to make an appearance. I thought that inserting in this chapter was perfect. Also, I have no idea if Cullen's gift to Evvy is something that can realistically be done. I found it online and liked it, so forgive me if I'm flirting with the outer boundaries of realism here. ;)
> 
> LadyNorbert adds: For some reason, I always hear the Christmas music from the Harry Potter movies in my head when I read this chapter.

* * *

**In Peace, Vigilance**

* * *

The next morning dawned bright, the sun turning the snow a glittering white sheen as Skyhold Academy came to life. For quite a few of the students, this was the first proper Wintersend they had ever had - and the first time they had presents to open. Their joy was unsurpassed as they awoke and the day began in earnest.

As they trooped from the dorms to the main part of the castle in search of breakfast, they found that the great hall had been festooned in appropriate decorations for the occasion. The teachers were there, welcoming them in turn, and a table nearby was stacked to overflowing with gifts tagged with the various students’ names.

“Go on down for breakfast first,” Leliana directed them. “Then we’ll come back up here and you can all open your presents.”

The sound of their excited buzzing hardly lessened as they disappeared for their meal. Cullen smiled, beaming as he watched them go. “I imagine concentrating on breakfast is going to be difficult with the promise of those gifts hanging over their heads,” he said brightly. “It's good to see them all so excited.”

“It really is,” Josephine agreed. “They’re such good kids; perhaps I’m biased but it always seems to me that for as much as they’ve had to endure in their young lives, they really are much better behaved than one might expect. It’s such a pleasure to bring them happiness.”

“I couldn't agree more,” Cullen said. “Now, if you'll all excuse me, let me see if I can find my son before he disappears into the crowd.”

“Didn't you just see him at home?” Dorian teased lightly. “Are you afraid you've forgotten what he looks like in the time it took to walk down here?”

“It's Wintersend, indulge me for one day,” the history professor retorted with a laugh.

“Don’t we always?” Blackwall teased him. “What’s for breakfast, anyway? It smells delicious.”

“Well, since this is the first Wintersend morning for a lot of the students, we thought we’d give them a bit of a treat,” said Leliana, smiling. “There’s a bit of everything - pancakes, waffles, that sort of thing. Anything you could possibly want for a Wintersend breakfast.”

“The kitchen staff got nice holiday bonuses for all this,” added Varric, joining them and rolling his shoulders to stretch them. “Morning, everyone. Happy Wintersend.”

“Happy Wintersend, Varric,” Josephine said cheerfully. “And you’re right about that - we made sure they were well taken care of, since so many of them stayed the holiday season to look after the students’ needs. Plus they’ve really outdone themselves this time.”

“I may also have contributed to the bonuses,” Varric noted with a grin. “Each of them got a signed copy of _Hard in Hightown._ ”

“I thought the goal was to show them we _appreciate_ them,” Dorian teased. Josie gave him a playful sort of glare. “Yes, yes, it’s Wintersend, my apologies. I shall temper my wit... at least until tomorrow.”

“I expected nothing less, Sparkler,” Varric assured him. “Besides, what do you think I got _you_?”

“I pray you’re kidding,” he returned, raising an eyebrow.

“Probably not,” said Bethany as she joined the group. “Happy Wintersend! So, breakfast first, then the kids open their gifts, right?”

“Right you are.” Varric gave her a smile. “Should be fun. This is our first Wintersend with the kids here.”

“It’s all so sweet,” she said, taking Varric’s hand as the other teachers began heading down to get breakfast themselves. “I’m beyond pleased they get to have some normalcy here at Skyhold. Well, the Skyhold definition of normal is very different than most.” She chortled. “But you know what I mean.”

“I do.” He nodded. “They have enough to contend with when they’re away from here. This needs to be their safe place.”

“Their safe place, their happy place, their family,” Dorian added. “To quote my nephew, it’s good.”

“That should just be the school motto or something,” Varric joked. “Skyhold Academy: It’s good.”

There was a general laugh at that as they took their seats, watching the students chatter excitedly. “I think that’s a perfect motto, actually,” said Leliana with a smile.

* * *

Once breakfast concluded, they all trooped back upstairs and watched the wrapping paper fly as the kids tore into their presents. As Varric had described, they each received a pair of humorously patterned fuzzy socks and a gift card to the bookstore in Redcliffe. There were also new notebooks, personalized keychains, decorative boxes they could keep on their desks, and various games they could install and play on their school-issued computers. “Just don’t go putting them on the computers in the study hall or nobody will ever get any work done,” Solas warned them.

There was a lot of laughing and squealing – some of the kids were even a little misty-eyed – as they compared socks or flipped through the notebooks or gushed about the boxes. “They look delighted,” said Josephine with a massive smile.

Over in the little corner occupied by the Partners in Crime, while Jim and Nessa were busy laughing over their socks, a delighted Rory was busy doing a count of her little pile. “Wait, do I have one more than you guys?”

“Yeah, you do - what is that?” Jim asked curiously. “Kinda looks like a book.”

“Hmm…” She immediately set to the task of carefully unwrapping it, her eyes widening as she did so. “Oh, look! It’s a poetry book!” She smiled. “And it’s not just any poetry book… this is my favorite poet! All right, which one of you was it?” She pointed at her two friends in turn.

Jim and Nessa exchanged puzzled glances. “It wasn’t us, Rors,” said Nessa. “We don’t know anything about it.”

The seriousness of their tone gave her pause. “Well, there's no name on the ‘from’ part of the tag,” she remarked, picking up the discarded wrapping paper. “Huh. Oh, wait, it's poems, maybe it's from Cole. Hang on.” She walked over to where he sat. “Hiya, Cole, happy Wintersend! So hey, one of my gifts was a book of poems. Was it you?”

“No, I am not a book of poems,” he returned.

She snickered at that. “No, I mean did you give it to me? There was no name on the tag.”

“Oh!” He shook his head. “No. Perhaps it was Professor Pavus?”

“Ooh, good thinking! Let me check. Thanks, Cole.” She smiled and headed off to ask Dorian. About two minutes later, she returned to her friends looking more baffled than when she had left them. “Well, that's weird,” she said, sitting down. “It's not from Cole or any of the teachers either... but I don't think anyone else knows who my favorite poet is.”

“That’s really weird.” Nessa thought for a moment. “Did you open the book? Maybe there’s a note or something inside.”

“Let’s see...” She opened the front cover carefully. “I don’t see anything...”

“How about in the back?”

“Not really sure what I'm expecting to find, honestly, but okay.” She flipped the book over, admiring the back cover before opening it up.

A small envelope was taped inside the back cover. When she had carefully removed and opened it, she found a Wintersend greeting card. Inside, in an unfamiliar handwriting, someone had written a message. _Rory, I heard this was your favorite. Hope you don’t already have it. Happy Wintersend!_

She blinked at the card for several seconds, then pushed it into Nessa’s hand. “Interpret, please.”

Nessa read it, eyes widening, and then read it again. “Someone has a secret admirer, unless I’m completely out of my mind.” She gave the card to Jim for his assessment.

He did likewise, chuckling slightly. “Oh man, girl, you really do. A secret admirer who went out of their way to discover your favorite poet, no less.” He handed the card back to Rory with a grin.

“ _What_? A secret admirer? _Me_?” She looked hilariously gobsmacked.

“I can’t fathom any other explanation,” said Nessa. She glanced at Jim. “And I suppose I don’t need to mention my personal guess for prime suspect... but he’s sitting over there with the other Chargers.”

“Yeah, okay,” Rory replied, rolling her eyes. “I’m sure it was really high on Krem’s Wintersend to-do list to figure out my favorite poet, track down a book, and give it to me on the sly. Honestly guys, I appreciate you saying what I want to hear - I _do_ \- but you really don’t have to.”

“All I’m saying is, it’s possible,” said Nessa mildly. “It’s not like we have any other possible suspects. Besides, he’s looking at you.”

“He is not - oh Andraste, he is.” She looked down quickly, smiling to herself even as she blushed. “Well... it’s a really nice gift, whoever it’s from.”

“Here’s my question,” said Jim. “Whoever sent it to you... they had to get the information about your favorite poet from somewhere. Seems to me that’s the logical starting place for inquiries - who knows that this is your favorite, besides us?”

She thought for a moment. “A few people in poetry club, probably. Maybe a couple of the teachers. Professor Tethras for sure. They all seemed surprised when I went up to ask about it though.”

“Yeah, but since when is Professor Tethras entirely honest if he doesn’t want to be?” Nessa pointed out. “We all know he’s got a poker face to challenge the Maker Himself.”

In spite of herself, Rory laughed slightly. “Well, yeah, that’s true. I don’t know, though... maybe it’s more fun to speculate than it is to know? I have no clue, this is a new thing for me.”

“Speculating is fun! Let’s pretend we don’t think it’s Krem and see who we can imagine.” Jim grinned.

“You guys have way too much fun at my expense you know,” Rory replied, shaking her head fondly at her friends as she flipped through the book.

Nessa didn’t say anything, but glanced over at the Chargers’ group. Krem was definitely looking over at Rory, and definitely trying to look like he wasn’t. “Rors. Don’t look, but you’re being watched. Just act like you’re really happy with the book.”

Rory looked like she really wanted to look up, but resisted. “That won’t be hard to do, Ness. I’m _delighted_ with this book. Oh, Maker, this is my favorite poem of all time! Best Wintersend ever.”

Nessa quietly nudged Jim and jerked her head in Krem’s direction. “Mmhmm. I think someone is very happy that you’re happy. And that’s all I’m going to say about it.”

Up at the teachers’ table, Bethany was watching the entire exchange with an enormous smile. She leaned over so she could speak quietly to Varric. “It looks like someone likes her gift,” she said, gesturing towards where Rory sat simultaneously blushing and looking extremely happy.

Varric chuckled. “Like I said, wish I’d known sooner that secret admirer things are a good idea.”

“Well, you did a good job making up for lost time,” she replied with a laugh, fingering the earrings she was wearing even now, before resting her head on his shoulder.

He turned to briefly kiss the top of her head. “As long as you’re happy, Sunshine.”

“Hey, with you, I’m always happy,” she assured him, settling in to watch the students with a look of contentment.

“Good. Hey, Sparkler,” said Varric, “speaking of happy - you think these guys would want to sing some traditional winter songs?”

“Hmm, let’s see. Do the inhabitants of Skyhold Academy want to sing?” Dorian remarked, pretending to ponder that statement with a grin. “Why, yes, I rather imagine they would.”

“Take it away, then.” He laughed.

Dorian’s suspicion that the assembled students and teachers would enjoy some singing was proven very correct. Once he got everyone’s attention, the entire school sang several songs, laughing and smiling as they did so. When the last song ended, the students all clapped and shouted a jubilant “thank you!” to the teachers before sitting back down.

* * *

The rest of the day passed in a sort of haze of happiness and nonsense. However, something happened midway through that sent Varric into a minor tailspin of annoyance. Near dinner, Bethany went to her room to get her gifts for the teachers and returned with yet another secret admirer gift - and this time, it wasn’t from him.

“I’m not kidding this time,” he said irritably. “That one’s _not_ mine.”

She looked positively puzzled at his assertion. “It’s not? How strange. I don’t think I exactly have a lot of _other_ secret admirers running around, after all.”

“Hawke, you’re not having fun at my expense, right?” He gave his best friend a mock reproachful look.

But Hawke held up her hands in innocence. “Not me. Not this time. I’m as baffled as you are.”

Varric’s brow furrowed. “Then who...?” He paused, then shook his head. “Okay, I shouldn’t be this annoyed. Was there a note, Sunshine?”

“There was indeed.” She reached into her pocket and procured it, holding it out for him to see.

“Hm. _I'd pull the sun down from the sky to light your darkest night, I wouldn't let one drop of rain fall down into your life._ I recognize the lyrics,” he said thoughtfully, “but they didn’t sign the card at all. And it’s not handwritten.”

“Mysterious,” Hawke said with a chuckle.

“Quite,” Bethany agreed. “It came with this.” She handed Varric the gift, which was a gold bookmark engraved with the image of the sun.

“Someone’s having fun with us,” he remarked. “Though to be fair, it’s a nice bookmark. Any thoughts, Sunshine?”

“Hmm.” She tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Well, there are several teachers here who enjoy teasing you,” she said playfully. “I’m sure it could be any of them. They probably knew you’d immediately be irked by someone other than you sending me gifts, after all.” She winked at him.

“Hmph.” He tried not to smile. “Well, I do like to disappoint preconceived notions.”

“Come on, let’s go see if we can figure out who it is before the gift exchange,” she suggested. “It’ll be fun.”

“I’m on board, but what do you suggest we do, exactly? I don’t expect the guilty party to break down in a confession.” Varric was more amused now than he had been. “I suppose there are a couple people we can eliminate right off the bat, though.”

“Yes, I highly doubt it’s Ev and Cullen.” She laughed. “Or Josephine and Leliana. And probably not Cassandra. That leaves a parcel of rather mischievous gentlemen, however.”

“True. Knowing them, they could _all_ be in on it,” he allowed. “Well, do you want to confront them? Or should we drive them crazy by acting like we don’t know anything about any bookmark?”

“You should take credit for it.” She grinned. “They’ll either think they got away with it or they’ll be terribly annoyed. Either way, it will be hilarious, I’m sure.”

Varric’s smile was a bit crooked. “Have I mentioned lately that I adore you? Because I really kind of adore you.”

She giggled and flashed him a brilliant smile. “I adore you too,” she replied, taking his hand and leading him in the direction of the staff room, a chuckling Hawke trailing after them. “Hi, everyone!” Bethany said brightly when they arrived, taking a seat and setting down the bag of gifts she had brought with her. “Sorry I’m a bit late - I found another secret admirer gift while I was getting everything together.”

“Someone’s being spoiled this Wintersend,” Leliana teased her.

“Well, y’know, I only have one Sunshine.” Varric shrugged. “And she’s _here_ , so... gotta do it right.”

“You're doing it plenty right,” she assured him, smiling. “Look at my latest gift here.” She passed around the bookmark and did a heroic job of not laughing.

“Sweet, if a little tame compared to the earrings.” Evvy winked at her. “I’m actually very curious to see what Varric’s going to get from you.”

“Nothing that will even remotely come close to all the gifts he's given me, I can tell you that much,” Bethany replied. “But hopefully he likes it all the same.”

“I don’t need gifts. I got the one thing I wanted,” he replied with a benign smile. “That doesn’t get the rest of you off the hook, however. Who wants to go first?”

“I will, if you all don’t object,” said Leliana, distributing identical boxes to everyone except Solas, whose gift appeared to be larger than the rest of them. Inside each box was a gift card to their regular theater, a box of candied chocolates, and (just to tease Cullen a bit) a tiny ceramic unicorn. Solas’s box contained each of those items, as well as a pair of winter boots. He lifted an eyebrow slightly, but chuckled.

“My unicorn collection is growing,” said Evvy with a grin. “I’m a bit put out in truth, I used to be the only one in Skyhold who had one.”

“Yes, but my unicorn days are over,” Cullen pointed out, shaking his head good-naturedly at the tiny gift. “So you have a replacement now.”

“That’s true. I think Rory may be the resident unicorn now,” Bull joked.

“Our poor girl,” said Dorian.

“Excuse me, why was it never ‘poor Cullen’?” Cullen wanted to know.

“Because she's adorable and it's fun to goad you.”

“And because their sympathies lay with _me_ ,” Evvy reminded him.

“Hmm. I'm in hostile territory, I see,” he teased, kissing her cheek with a smile. “All right, who's next?”

Josephine took her turn. She gave everyone a box containing a handsome glove and scarf set in colors she knew each of them liked. Solas got this, plus a pair of shoes in a complimenting color. “I believe I sense a theme here,” he remarked.

“Emerald green - thank you, Josie,” said Evvy, draping her scarf across her shoulders. “I can’t ever be too warm these days.”

“I’ll go next,” said Varric. “As I told Sparkler, you all got autographed copies of _Hard in Hightown_.” The packages he distributed were, in fact, worryingly shaped like books, and he settled back in his chair to watch with great satisfaction while they unwrapped them. The paper came off, revealing the familiar cover of his most famous novel, and Varric had indeed signed each one - but as they quickly realized, the image had been custom-printed onto book-shaped _boxes_ , with the real gifts inside. Each of them held gift cards to the recipient’s favorite store, but for Hawke there was also a gold pin in the shape of a hawk with its wings outstretched, and Bethany’s held a necklace to match the earrings she’d received the previous day.

“This is beautiful, thank you,” Bethany said once she had recovered from laughing over the box. “And very creative packaging too.” She smiled and immediately put her necklace on.

“All right,” said Solas, holding up a gift card to a shoe store. “Is there any particular reason I seem to be in need of so much footwear?”

“We have some concerns about how much time you spend barefoot,” said Evvy with an almost perfectly straight face. “We don’t want you to get sick.”

“Or step on something and injure yourself,” added Dorian, smirking faintly. “One of the many occupational hazards of working in a castle.”

“It’s all because we care about you, Solas,” Josephine concluded sweetly.

“Well, with friends like these, who needs enemies?” He deadpanned. “But, I thank you nevertheless. I think.”

“At least they’re _nice_ shoes,” Bull pointed out. “The girls could have gotten you some ugly-ass flip-flops and shit.”

“Or Crocs,” added Blackwall. “Maybe Ugg boots.”

“Please stop giving them ideas,” Solas protested.

Leliana and Josephine merely giggled. “Well they had to be something he would get use from, of course,” said Leliana with a grin.

“All right, who’s next? Did anyone get the rest of us shoes?” Varric winked.

“Unfortunately not,” said Dorian with a laugh. “But I’ll take my turn next if no one minds. First of all, a little bit of a treat for the ladies of Skyhold.”

The women looked around, each lifting their eyebrows in query. The men all looked faintly smug, or faintly embarrassed, as Dorian distributed a series of very flat items wrapped in identical gold paper. Once the gifts were opened, and to the profound amusement of their recipients, they turned out to be the oft mentioned but heretofore never created _Men of Skyhold_ calendar. Each man was represented in a hilarious (and surprisingly apt) costume. Cullen, for instance, being the school’s history professor, was dressed as Indiana Jones. Bull was represented as a firefighter. Mahanon made an appearance as a noir-style detective.

“How did you even do these?” Josephine asked, chuckling fondly as she studied a picture of Blackwall dressed as a medieval blacksmith.

“It took a bit of sneaking around,” Dorian admitted. “But we all managed to find time to don costumes and do a few photo shoots.”

“Well, almost all of us,” said Solas.

“You’re in here too, Solas.” Leliana laughed, holding the calendar up to show the science teacher a picture of himself dressed as the Big Bad Wolf from _Into the Woods_. He knitted his brows and looked at Dorian for explanation.

“Did you know Felix is very skilled with Photoshop?” he remarked innocently, sipping at his coffee cup with a smirk.

Everyone laughed. “Well, I love it,” Bethany said, giggling at the picture of Varric as a Regency era writer. “Thank you, Dorian.”

“You are most welcome.” He chuckled. “Now, allow me to fetch everyone their real gift. Not as amusing, but hopefully useful. Everyone gets the same thing, except for my Cinderella. She gets a little something extra, of course.”

Everyone was given intricately carved wooden pencil boxes for their desks. In addition to that, Evvy was given a small box which, when opened, contained a delicate piece of crystal and a tiny circle-shaped sketch of a rainbow. “Around the time of your birthday you remarked that, if you had something from me and something from Cole to place inside your locket, you could represent all four of the special gentlemen in your life at the same time. So, Cole and I put our heads together. He drew that, of course, and the crystal piece is from something I brought with me from Tevinter – used as a sign of friendship and affection.”

“Oh, Maker’s breath.” Evvy wiped her eyes and opened the locket, carefully tucking the new items in opposite the coin. “A perfect fit, just like all of you. Thank you, Fairy Godfather.”

“You are most welcome, my dear. Happy Wintersend.” He kissed her cheek, then looked over at the other teachers. “And happy Wintersend to all of you as well.”

“Yeah... how are we supposed to follow that?” Hawke teased.

“I can’t help it that I’m terribly good at this,” Dorian returned, smirking.

“Well, I’ll do my best,” said Bull. He distributed his gifts next. “I know they’re ridiculous - but I saw them and I just couldn’t stop laughing. Besides, you’re all a bit hard to shop for.” Everyone opened a Lego castle set which would let them build their own miniature version of Skyhold.

“Oh, that’s perfect!” Cullen laughed. “We’ll have fun putting this together, I assure you.” He glanced at Evvy. “Should we go next, my darling?”

“Go ahead, dear.”

“All right, well, we cheated a bit and did a joint gift - so this is from the two of us _and_ Cole.” He retrieved the boxes in question. Inside each box was an identical painting for each teacher of the castle with the entire staff assembled outside. “Evvy did the pencil sketches, Cole painted. I supplied the frames,” he added, chuckling.

“They’re beautiful!” Josephine said admiringly.

“Cole really is developing his talent,” Leliana noted.

“He’s picking up a lot from his remarkable mother,” Cullen said warmly, squeezing Evvy’s hand. “He’ll be delighted to hear you like the paintings. He wanted to help do something special for you all.”

“He’s such a sweet boy,” Hawke remarked, her tone fond. “He almost doesn’t seem like the same kid I remember from before my sabbatical - you’ve both made such a difference in his life.”

Cullen beamed. “And he’s made such a difference in ours. All I want to do is what’s best for him and for this little one here.” His hand wandered gently to Evvy’s stomach. “So I certainly hope I’m on the right track.”

“It’s been a while,” said Bull. “All together now?” He paused, and then with a few of the others he declared, “So cute it’s stupid.”

Everyone laughed while Cullen merely shrugged. “Yes, all right, all right. Guilty as charged.” He smiled.

“Who’s next? Oh, I guess I could be,” said Mahanon. “I heard that Ev’s locket was a big hit last Wintersend, so…” He passed out very small parcels. “Of course, I didn’t want to take away from the _specialness_ of my little lady’s signature piece, so I went in a different direction.” Everyone had either a money clip, a tie pin, or a brooch with their stylized initial. Well, everyone except Evvy, who instead had a new stronger chain on which to wear her locket, and Cassandra, who had a ring with her monogram.

“The ring opens up just like a locket,” he added. “In old days they were called poison rings, but I just thought it looked really cool.”

“This is beautiful,” she enthused, smiling at him as she traced her finger over the surface of the ring. “I love it, thank you.”

“Just as long as you don't actually put poisons in it,” Cullen teased, admiring his new tie clip. Evvy, threading her locket onto its new chain, laughed and nudged him.

“Who’s left?” asked Bull.

“Let me see,” said Josephine. “I believe it’s Cassandra, Solas, Blackwall, and the Hawkes who have yet to present. Does anyone want more coffee before we continue? Or tea?”

“I would love a little more tea,” said Bethany. “And I'll also take my turn if that's all right.” She reached into the bag at her feet and pulled out several wrapped squares. “You all know I love to take pictures. And you guys here at Skyhold are some of the best subjects any photographer could ask for. So what better Wintersend gift could there be than some of those pics?” Each person was given a beautifully framed copy of a picture they were in from one of Skyhold’s many events. Some people had pictures from Evvy and Cullen's wedding, others from the Exalted Age faire, and so on.

Varric’s face split into a wide grin when he saw his. “Well, you didn’t take this one, seeing as how you’re _in_ it,” he said, holding up the picture of Bethany bestowing the medallion on him at the faire. “This is going on my desk, right next to the Kirkwall picture.”

“I’m so pleased you like it,” she said with a wide smile. “That picture was just too good - I knew I had to use it.”

“I love this,” said Hawke happily, studying her and Fenris’s gifts - pictures of them singing their dueling solos at the wedding. “You’re something else, sis. Just you being here is a gift, you didn’t have to do this.”

“Aww, but I wanted to.” She smiled. “You're all fantastic, it's the least I could do.”

“Well, on that note, I suppose we should take our turn.” Hawke nodded at Fenris so he would start distributing packages. “I wanted to make sure your gifts were extra special this year, since I didn’t get to give you anything last year. And everyone had such a good time at the Exalted Age faire, so…” She had used some of Bethany’s photography to make small painted canvas portraits of everyone in their costumes.

“Oh! Oh, sis, these are great!” Bethany said in obvious delight.

“Absolutely gorgeous, thank you so much,” said Josie with a smile.

“You gave me a crown,” Varric protested, laughing. “I didn’t have a crown.”

“I believe that’s called artistic license,” Bethany teased. “Besides, you _were_ my prince that day, so a crown seems perfectly logical to me.”

“I can’t argue with that.”

“I guess I’m next,” said Blackwall. “Well, we started doing a bit of metal shop this year, now that the undercroft’s been opened again. So I thought this might be sort of fun, plus I was able to work on them during classes so the older kids could learn from it.” He passed out boxes containing small pieces of metal art for each person’s wall or desktop - a rainbow for Evvy, a globe for Leliana, and so forth.

“These are very impressive,” Leliana complimented, studying hers with a look of admiration. “And it’s wonderful to hear you and the students are making such good use of the undercroft.”

“It seems to be going well. And it’s a good use of the space,” he added, “though I can understand why some would rather avoid it.”

“Oh, yes,” Dorian agreed, cringing slightly. “But if you all can find use out of it, far be it from me to argue. Especially since _this_ ,” he gestured to his metal carving of an open book, “is excellent work.”

“I’m rather partial to my typewriter paperweight myself,” Varric agreed, “even if I never want to look at the place where it was made again. All right, General, Chuckles, you’re holding out on us.”

“All right, I’ll go,” said Cassandra. “I’m terrible at this, but hopefully you can find some use from these.” Everyone assembled was given a handsome pewter mug, personalized to individual tastes. To Mahanon went the additional gift of a leather wallet with his initial embossed in the corner. “It seems we both were on the same page with the initials theme,” she said with a laugh.

“These are remarkable, Cass,” said Evvy, studying hers. “Did you find these at the faire? I’ve never seen their equal.”

She nodded. “There was a stand there with beautiful stoneware, pewter, silver, all sorts of items. I found their website, humorous as that may sound for something at the Exalted Age faire.” She grinned. “So I had a few specially ordered. Your wallet,” she added, nodding at Mahanon, “was from a stand as well.”

“Well, I love it,” he assured her. “It’s the nicest wallet I’ve ever owned.”

“I suppose that just leaves me, then,” said Solas. “This might seem a bit sentimental, but I assure you it’s quite scientific in its way.” He chuckled, passing out a series of rather flat boxes. They were wrapped in such a fashion that rather than be unwrapped, the recipients merely had to lift the flaps to reveal the contents - he’d arranged with the international planetary society to have a star named after each of them.

“Oh, Solas, what a delightful gift! Thank you!” Josephine beamed. “This is such a thoughtful gesture.”

“The perfect blend of science and sweetness,” said Leliana with a smile. “Brilliant.”

“Quite the Wintersend, isn’t it?” Evvy laughed. “Thank you, everyone. These are so incredible, I hardly know what to say.”

“This has been so wonderful,” Bethany agreed with a grateful smile. “I’m so pleased to be here with all of you. Thank you so much.”

“And we’re glad you could be here, Bethany,” Josephine told her sincerely. “Well, shall we adjourn for the evening? I know some of us have a child to whom they are probably eager to get back, and some others of us have visitors they’re likely waiting to enjoy.” She glanced meaningfully first at Cullen and then at Cassandra.

“I think both of those of those things are very true,” Cullen replied, smiling.

“Before we go, I do just have one question…” Bethany said, smirking slightly. “Someone here has excellent taste in bookmarks - I’m just curious who it is.”

“Yeah, because it wasn’t me,” said Varric, “but someone’s gone to some effort to make it seem like it is.”

There was a brief pause and then a smirking Dorian raised his hand. “All right, I confess it was me. I knew it would likely drive Varric mad, and I figured one can never have too many bookmarks. It seemed a win-win.”

There was a general laugh at that. “One day, Sparkler, I shall have my revenge,” said Varric pleasantly. “I don’t know what it will be or when it will happen, but I assure you it will be... creative.” He grinned.

“How very disquieting,” Dorian replied breezily, snickering.

Bethany laughed and squeezed Varric’s hand. “Well, as I said, it’s an excellent bookmark, so thank you for it.”

“If one must give a gag gift, it might as well be a functional one, I say.” Dorian shrugged.

Bull chuckled, a rumble in his chest, and shook his head. “All right, let’s call it a night. We’ll have to deal with the kids tomorrow, and they’ll probably be on a post-holiday crash so they might need extra shuffling to move them around the school.”

“An excellent point.” Cassandra also chuckled, getting to her feet and taking Non’s hand. “Happy Wintersend, everyone. It’s been remarkable.”

“It certainly has. Don’t be up too late,” Leliana teased them. “Good night. Happy Wintersend.”

There was a tangle of hugging and thanking each other for the gifts as the teachers broke apart, drifting in different directions. Cullen caught his wife’s hand gently as they departed the staff room. “Don’t forget my gift to you, dearest,” he said. “I wanted to save it, rather than give it with all the others.”

“I trust that this year’s gift won’t lead to a talking-to from your sister Mia?” she asked teasingly.

He laughed at that. “Hopefully not,” he said with a smile. “But I do hope you like it as much as you liked the sketchbook. I’m afraid it’s far less practical, however.”

“Well, I’m terribly curious. Lead the way.”

He did as she suggested and led the way back to their apartment. Once they were inside, he retreated to their bedroom and returned with a small, flat box. He waited with a look both eager and anxious as she opened it. Inside was what appeared to be two thin pieces of glass pressed together. Upon closer inspection, however, it became apparent there was a snowflake preserved between the two panes. Etched delicately above the snowflake were the words _Our first Wintersend together_ , with the date below it. “Now you’ll always have a little piece of our Fereldan blizzard,” he said, smiling. “Happy Wintersend. I… hope you like it.”

Evvy stared at the gift, fascinated. “How - how in the world did you do this?”

“A lot of it was a bit like a science experiment, so I admit I had help.” He laughed. “I’m not even sure I fully understand it, really. I had the glass panel already and was trying to figure out how to make it more than a glass panel - so the blizzard was a bit fortuitous actually. And it’s preserved in there, so it will last forever.”

“It’s beautiful. I love it.” She kissed him. “My gift pales by comparison, but… here you go.” She handed him what looked to be nothing more than an envelope, but inside he found all the documentation for his enrollment in the History Book of the Month Club for five years.

His smile was almost childlike in delight. “Oh, this is _marvelous_ ,” he said, chuckling. “How fantastic! Darling, this is so thoughtful, thank you. I can’t wait for this to start.”

“It’s not as magical as your gift, but it seemed like something you would enjoy. And it’s the gift that keeps on giving, in its way, so if you get any duplicates or books you don’t want, you can always put them in the school library or something.”

“I absolutely love it.” He set the envelope down and took her hands, pressing them to his lips. “It’s an excellent gift - although you being here with me is already the best gift I could ask for.”

“Likewise, love. This is quite the improvement over last year,” she added, eyes twinkling.

“I couldn’t agree more,” he said, pressing his forehead against hers. “If I could go back in time to exactly a year ago and tell myself what was waiting for me... well, I wonder if that me would believe the me of today.”

“I’d like to think he would - that he would have taken some courage from your words. Maybe it wouldn’t have taken a hospital trip to get you to be honest with me,” she teased. “That’s really the only thing I would change in our history, you know.”

He pulled back to look at her, placing a hand on her cheek. “If I could change anything about the days leading up to our relationship, I would have stopped running a lot sooner. And I would have done more to put that past behind me so I could begin looking towards the future.”

She took his other hand and brought it to her stomach. “What matters is that we got here. How we got here, well, that just makes for an interesting story,” she joked. “Come on. Let’s go see our son; he’s looking forward to you opening his gift.”

“Well, then, I'm excited to see what it is.” He smiled and bent to kiss the curve of her stomach, before standing once again.


	9. In Teaching, Sacrifice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The holidays have come and gone. Important business brings President Theirin to Orlais, leading a certain language professor to have to make a big decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we are! The last chapter of "Where the Sky is Held" brings us right back to where the story started - Orlais! But fear not, friends, there is PLENTY more Skyhold Academy goodness that we'll be rolling out to you in the coming weeks. More stories, more songs, more romance, more silliness! Keep your eyes peeled for our next sequel - Spoiler alert, it's going to be awesome, but you didn't hear that from me. ;)
> 
> Thank you all so much for your continued reviews and kudos. We're thrilled that so many of you are enjoying this series, and we hope you continue to enjoy! :D

 

* * *

  **In Teaching, Sacrifice**

* * *

The snow was soft in Orlais and the winter gentle compared to the blizzard conditions in Ferelden as the new year began. The staff of the University of Orlais had fallen into their usual quiet pattern as the holidays waned - a quiet pattern that was interrupted by the announcement of a visitor from Denerim.

“From Denerim?” Professor Kenric looked interested. “I wonder if it’s the Alamarri research materials I’ve been requesting from their state library.”

“Uhh, no, sir,” said the nervous-looking research assistant who had been drafted to deliver the message. “Actually... it’s the President of Ferelden. He’s going to be here within the hour, apparently to see Professor de Chevin.”

“ _Me_?” Michel looked around in surprise.

“Maker’s breath, Michel, what did you do?” Fairbanks teased, looking up from his cup of coffee.

“I have no idea!” His expression was bewildered and slightly alarmed.

“Oh, I'm sure you're not in any sort of trouble,” Frederic assured him. “But it is curious. I suppose we'll find out soon.”

“The President of Ferelden.” Michel was muttering to himself and started pacing the room. “What could the President of Ferelden possibly want with me?”

“Hmm. Perhaps something related to Skyhold?” Professor Desjardins suggested with a shrug. “He and the First Lady are involved in the school, are they not? Although why he would come here in person to discuss Skyhold matters is beyond me.”

“That’s what I don’t understand,” Michel agreed. “Surely if it were related to Skyhold, the headmistress would have called, no?”

Kenric shrugged. “Good point. But perhaps she couldn’t? Do you think it has something to do with the Venatori Prep debacle, or something similar?”

“Oh, that’s a possibility.” Michel frowned thoughtfully. “I would hope they wouldn’t require my testimony - I witnessed so little at the time. I was in charge of the students’ morale, I didn’t learn much until well after the fact. Still, if they need me, I must of course go.”

“Well, whatever it is, it’s clearly something important to the President,” said Fairbanks. “Otherwise I doubt he’d make the trip.”

* * *

An hour later, Headmistress Briala sent word for Michel to attend her and the President in his office. He tried not to shake too visibly. After all, the President of Ferelden was a reasonable, genial man who loved dogs and cheese; their acquaintance hadn’t been of tremendous length, but they _had_ met, and Michel liked the man. Whatever was happening was probably not as unnerving as he felt like it was going to be.

“Your Excellency,” he said, shaking hands, “it must be a matter of great importance to bring you all the way to Orlais in this cold.”

“Please sit, Professor de Chevin.” It was the headmistress who spoke, gesturing to one of the chairs opposite her desk. “President Theirin had some business here in Orlais and wanted to stop by to speak to you on his way back to Ferelden. I think you’ll be very interested to hear what he has to say.” To the President, she added, “Is there anything I can get for you, Your Excellency?”

“I wouldn’t mind a bit of hot chocolate, if it’s not too much trouble.”

“Of course. Let me just send my assistant.”

Meanwhile, Alistair sat down, gesturing for Michel to do likewise. “So. Professor de Chevin. I, uh... I hope you’ve been well?”

“Yes, Ser,” the language professor replied, sitting almost cautiously. “Thank you for asking. Is this... is this about the business with Venatori Prep?”

“What? Oh - no, that’s all been settled,” Alistair assured him. “There was enough testimony from the other teachers, plus the evidence presented by the Grey Wardens - everything’s all right on that front. No, this is about Skyhold Academy.”

“Oh. Well, the Academy will always hold a special place in my heart, so I’m happy to help with something if I can…” He still looked bemused, but he nodded.

“Funny you should say that. We - that is, they - were wondering if you… well, if you would like to come back. To the school. For good.”

Michel’s eyes widened. “For good?” he repeated. “What about Madam de Fer?”

“Well, in light of the tragedy which took her from the school last year,” said Alistair, “she’s opted to retire. She inherited a sizeable estate here in Orlais, up in Ghislain, and she’s decided that she’s needed there more than at the school. She actually never returned after the end of the last school year; the post has been vacant all through the fall term, because we couldn’t find a suitable substitute. So we thought we would see how you felt about resuming the post.”

“Well... goodness.” He raked a hand through his hair. “This certainly comes as a surprise. And I’m honored that you considered me, Your Excellency. When... when would you like my answer?”

“The sooner the better, of course, but if you need to take time to think about things, I understand. I realize I’m sort of dropping this on you out of nowhere.” The door opened, and he glanced over only to do a double take. “Oh. Ah. Morrigan. Hello.”

Sure enough, the chemistry professor was standing in the doorway, clutching a mug of hot chocolate and wearing a smirk; she had evidently intercepted whoever was delivering the beverage and decided to play messenger herself. “Mr. President,” she replied, inclining her head. It was not a respectful gesture. “Have you come to an institute of higher learning in hopes of correcting your own educational deficits, Ser?”

“My education is just fine, thank you. They didn’t make _you_ President, did they?” he retorted. Then with a sigh, he added, “Elissa made me promise I’d be nice to you. Also she says hello, and that she hopes Darrian and Kieran are well.”

At that, Morrigan’s smirk softened. “Give her my greetings in return. I trust the First Lady is likewise well?”

“Singularly spectacular, but since being in her fan club is the only thing you and I have ever had in common, I probably don’t need to tell you that.”

“I immensely dislike having anything in common with you, but yes, her virtues are the only thing on which we consistently agree,” she returned. After a moment, she seemed to remember her purpose in coming and handed him the mug.

“Oh. Thanks.” He glanced warily at the liquid in the cup, as if unsure whether or not it was poisoned.

She seemed to understand the look he wore and scoffed slightly, crossing her arms over her chest. “Please, Alistair. If I wished to poison the President of Ferelden, I would not do so in the company of witnesses,” she said lightly, the smirk returning.

“Mm. I guess that’s reasonable,” he said, relenting and taking a sip. “So did you want something, or did you just come in so I could tell you how much you’re starting to resemble your mother as you get older?”

She glared at that, her look full of obvious loathing. “I shall leave it there. For now.” She muttered something that almost seemed like _I hate you so much_ , before glancing over at Briala and Michel as if she just realized for the first time they were there. “Good luck, Professor,” she added to Michel as she departed.

Alistair shook his head, looking pleased with himself. “Ah - sorry about that. Morrigan and I go way back,” he said. “My wife is fond of her, so I try to tolerate her, but she doesn’t make it easy.”

Michel had watched the entire exchange like he was watching a tennis match. After a beat, he chuckled awkwardly. “Yes, I imagine so,” he said, then cleared his throat. “So, uh... we were speaking about Skyhold?”

“Right. Right! Not that I’m sure Headmistress Briala is eager to lose you again, let alone permanently,” said Alistair. “But you were such a hit with the students, I’m told, so since we’ve had no luck finding a replacement, Leliana and I figured it couldn’t hurt to ask. Will you at least consider it?”

“I... I most certainly will. I know there are several teachers at Skyhold who live other places, so it’s not like I would have to leave Orlais permanently,” he mused. “And as I said, Skyhold has become dear to my heart.”

“Good!” Alistair forced himself to finish the cocoa, despite his distrust of the woman who had delivered it. “Headmistress Briala, I hope you can forgive me for making the offer.”

“It will be a shame to lose Professor de Chevin, should he choose to go,” she remarked. “But I understand. The tales about his year at Skyhold Academy have become almost legendary here, so I can see why it’s become such a special place to him.”

“All true. As Professor Tethras might say, the exaggerated parts are especially true.” He chuckled.

“I would expect nothing less,” she said with a grin. “Now, would you gentlemen like a moment alone to discuss any of the finer points Professor de Chevin might need when making his decision?”

“Thank you, that’s - that’s very gracious of you.”

Once she was gone, Alistair’s expression became a lot more serious than it had been. “I’m not trying to force your hand,” he said, “or make you feel guilty for wanting to stay here. I’m sure there are a lot of advantages to remaining in Orlais. But there’s something else you need to know about Skyhold.”

Michel’s brows briefly drew together in confusion. “Oh? What might that be, Your Excellency?”

“Skyhold is... not an ordinary school. You might have surmised as much when you were there, but you weren’t really told why.” Alistair hesitated. “The thing is, if you should decide to join the permanent staff, you _will_ be told. And you must carry that secret with you. It’s not a particularly dangerous one, at least not for you, but for some of the students it potentially could be. In shortest form, they are at Skyhold to keep them safe, and your assistance in that will be required if you take the job.”

“I see.” During his time at the school, he often felt as if there was something he was not quite being told, but he didn’t feel it was necessary for him to go digging - after all, he was simply their language substitute. “Well, I was a chevalier in another life, so I’m used to keeping people safe. And I’m not necessarily one to shy away from secrets that help accomplish it. I will take it under advisement.” He nodded. “Although... for what it’s worth... I imagine my answer will be yes.”

“I think there will be a lot of people who will be very happy if that is indeed the case.” Alistair smiled. “From what I hear, you were quite popular with the students. They’ll be overjoyed.”

Michel chuckled at that, returning the smile. “They’re all such pleasant, hard-working young people. I have definitely missed them.” He paused. “Thank you for coming to me with the opportunity, Mr. President.”

“Thank you for making it worth my while, Professor de Chevin.” Alistair chuckled.

“Certainly. Just... just allow me to check on a few things - such as if I can perhaps sublet my apartment - and then I can give you a formal answer, if that’s all right.”

“Of course. Whatever you need.”

“Thank you, Ser. I won’t keep you waiting for long, I can promise you that much.” He gave the President of Ferelden a respectful nod.

* * *

Alistair stayed the night in the school’s best guest quarters and was on his way back to Denerim first thing in the morning. Michel’s colleagues, meanwhile, were very curious as to the substance of his visit. “So what did he want?” Fairbanks asked.

“He... well, you're not going to believe this. He wanted to know if I would come teach at Skyhold permanently,” Michel reported, a bit sheepishly.

There was a murmur of astonishment. “Why?” asked Kenric. “Has some misfortune again befallen Madam de Fer?”

“Apparently she decided to retire. Bastien bequeathed his estate in Ghislain to her and she wants to manage the affairs there,” the language professor explained. “She actually never returned after my departure and they've had trouble finding a suitable replacement.”

“So what will you do?” Morrigan looked merely curious.

“Well, I need to check on a few things, but... I will probably accept. The hardest part will be leaving all of you and the university. That's what is truly giving me pause.”

“Our loss will be Skyhold’s gain,” said Kenric in his diplomatic way. “It’s a shame that they couldn’t find anyone, but at least here we have an entire language department. And with you there, perhaps we can anticipate greater scholastic exchange between Orlais and Ferelden.”

“Yes, that would be wonderful,” Frederic agreed with a slight nod. “Although we will miss you, Michel.”

“And I’ll miss all of you. But I’ll be back - Orlais is still my home after all. Nothing will keep me away permanently.” He smiled.

“Perhaps we can come and see the legendary Skyhold sometime,” suggested the baron, smiling. “I’ve often wanted to view it for myself.”

“I’m sure you’d all be welcome! I know Ms. Montilyet would be especially glad to welcome you, Edouard,” Michel said warmly. “I would be honored to receive a visit from any of you.”

“And we could see this living fairy tale for ourselves,” Kenric added with a grin. “I suspect the history professor and I would bore the rest of you to tears, however.”

There was a chuckle at that. “As I said when I first got back, I think you and Professor Rutherford would get along splendidly,” said Michel, laughing. “Probably Professor Pavus, too. The man is a great lover of literature.”

“We can form a club,” Kenric joked. “Mrs. Rutherford might appreciate the break.”

Everyone laughed again. “That’s actually an excellent idea,” Professor de Chevin remarked. “Oh, I really do hope this will promote further exchange between the schools. The students are all wonderful, I’m sure many of them might even wish to come to the University of Orlais when they’re older.”

“You do make them sound quite special,” Frederic noted. “If any of them ever express an interest in zoology, do please direct them to my attention.”

“I will indeed. And yes, they are very special.” He privately pondered the President’s words about Skyhold being a place to keep the students safe, wondering what that meant. Well, he would find out soon, it seemed. “I know they’d enjoy meeting all of you and I think you’ll enjoy meeting them.”

“Then we’ll consider it a definite future event, and it will soften the blow of your departure,” said Fairbanks with a grin. “Also, I admit I’m curious to see Headmistress Nightingale. If she’s half as beautiful as your pictures suggest, maybe I’ll put in for a transfer too.”

Michel rolled his eyes teasingly. “I’m sure.” He chuckled. “Ahh, I really am going to miss all of you.” He put his hands on Frederic and Fairbanks’ shoulders.

“And we’ll miss you. Thank the Maker for technology, eh?” Kenric grinned. “It allows for so much.”

“Yes, thank goodness. I’ll definitely be keeping you all in the loop as much as I can.”

“Well, as soon as you’ve checked on all the necessary things and made your official decision, we should have some sort of celebration,” said Edouard.

“Capital notion!” said Kenric. “A proper banquet to say farewell sounds like just the thing.”

“Thank you, everyone. I’m flattered.” Michel gave them a warm smile. “I’ll still be here for a few weeks, so we have time. Plus I’ll be back for at least part of the summer, I’m sure.”

“Perhaps sometime we can arrange a gathering for the two faculties,” Frederic suggested. “That might be enjoyable, and there are any number of scenic locations in both countries which could host such an occasion.”

“That is a marvelous idea,” Morrigan put in. “Provided I am not required to spend any further time in the company of Ferelden’s _illustrious_ leader.”

Everyone chuckled faintly at that. “Don’t worry, Professor,” Michel said. “I’m sure that can be arranged.”

* * *

A few days after Alistair’s visit, Michel gave the President his formal answer accepting the position. He sublet his apartment to Kenric’s research assistant Colette for the semester until he could return in the summer (during which she was going to be in the Frostbacks anyway) and made plans to move to the castle. Headmistress Briala promised him that he would be welcome to return as a guest lecturer whenever he wished, which helped to soften the blow of his departure. He spent the last few weeks saying goodbye to the university and his colleagues, which included the celebration Edouard had suggested.

At last, as the new semester approached, Michel was standing in front of the school, preparing to depart.

“Don’t forget to write, Michel,” Briala told him. “We wish you all the luck in the world.”

“Thank you, Headmistress.” He inclined his head.

“ _Bon voyage_ , Professor,” Fairbanks remarked, clapping Michel on the shoulder.

“Yes. _Bonne chance_ , Michel,” Frederic said warmly.

In this manner, the language professor said a heartfelt goodbye to each of his colleagues. As he had mentioned when weighing out the decision, it would be difficult to leave Orlais, but the thought of Skyhold did buoy him. He had been told the school’s secret upon his acceptance and suddenly so much of his time there made a little more sense. And, with this knowledge, he longed to help the students even more. Whether as a chevalier or a teacher, his life’s goal was to help people - and he would do whatever he could to make sure he was helping the students of Skyhold, even in a small way.

“Well, my friends, I will let you know when I arrive. And I know we’ll speak again soon. See you in the summer,” he assured them, looking around. After a long pause, he smiled slightly. “For now, a new adventure awaits.”

With a final wave, he got into the car to begin his journey to his new home in the place where the sky was held.

* * *

 

_Fin_


End file.
